Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11

Novel Illustrations

These are novel illustrations that were included in volume 11.

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Prologue

The Wise Dragon King Imbolc’s bloodline was split into two, namely, Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Family and Nehalennia’s Dark Dragon King Family. A never-ending war broke out between the two families that repeated itself generation after generation.

—From the ‘Old Testament of the Stella Biblia’.

—Alba Village.

It was a small village on the outskirts of the Lautreamont Knight Country. The villagers mainly relied on forestry and agriculture to make a living. Although their harvests were small and their lives not considered luxurious, the villagers were nonetheless cheerful and lived hardy lives.

On a particular evening just when summer was drawing to a close…

“Heeey, Linda—!”

Ash walked along a path through the woods as he searched for his little sister. Although Linda usually would’ve been home at this time, she had yet to return today. At last, Ash’s field of view widened as he arrived at a plaza that was used as a playground by the children of the village. Unsurprisingly, around five children were there. The sun had already set, but they seemed to be chatting rather enthusiastically. Linda was also among them. Although she was almost obscured by everyone else — her double-braided hair and bright green dress were quite unmistakable.

“…Hmm?”

Ash had originally intended to call out to her loudly, but he suddenly paused. It was because he felt a disturbing aura. On closer inspection, the other children surrounded Linda and questioned her with stern expressions.

“If that’s the case, then why doesn’t Linda-chan’s dad come back?”

The one who sharply asked such a question was a girl who seemed like the leader.

“T-That’s because…uuh…uuuh…”

Linda had already been crying for a while. Linda was only five years old, making her the youngest among her friends. She was definitely a notch smaller compared to everyone around her. Even from afar, Ash could tell that her shoulders were trembling ever so slightly.

—This again…

Ash heaved a sigh. Although the children normally had a cordial relationship, things ended up like this whenever they quarrelled. Ash’s father was a peculiar character, and the impression of ‘a useless guy who abandons his family to travel’ was deeply ingrained in the villagers’ minds. The fact that his father was not originally from Alba Village but was a traveller from the outside world probably played a great role in that.

“It can’t be helped…”

As her older brother, he still intervened in disputes between the girls — he felt that it was a bit immature, but when he saw her crying like that, his pride was of no importance.

“Hey, Linda! It’s dinnertime—!”

Ash shouted in a cheerful voice that was at complete odds with the mood, and he then smiled at the girls. With his warm demeanour, he pretended not to notice the fickle atmosphere surrounding the group. The girls quickly sat down, seemingly surprised by Ash’s attitude.

“All of you should go home as well. When the sun goes down, you’ll be gobbled up by the witch Morrígan!”

Upon hearing Ash’s reference to a cautionary fairy tale, the girls exchanged glances. Finally, they got up one after the other and began making their way home obediently in groups. When the girls disappeared from the end of the forest path, Ash directed his gaze towards Linda.

“Are you okay, Linda?”

The instant that he placed his hand on his little sister’s head—

“Onii-chan—!”

Linda burst into tears and threw herself into Ash’s arms.

“Haha. You’re such a spoilt child, Linda.”

Ash made a wry smile as he gently stroked her head.

“Hey, onii-chan? Why don’t we have papa?”

Linda asked in a soft voice as she sobbed. How many times has she asked this question now…Ash thought to himself as he gazed into the distance. It was a question that he had asked his mother several times as well.

“Well, I wonder why. But Linda has a brother, doesn’t she? I’ll protect you in father’s stead. Is that no good?”

Linda buried her face in Ash’s chest as she shook her head.

“Onii-chan……I love you…”

“I love you too, Linda.”

Ash gently embraced her slender body. She was his only sister.

—That’s right, I have to protect Linda.

Ash made an oath to himself.

“Come on.”

Ash turned around and offered his back to Linda who seemed to have finally stemmed her tears. He then knelt down on one knee.

“Yay! Piggyback!”

Linda cheered as she rushed over to Ash’s back. Her slender arms wrapped around his neck.

“Okay, let’s go home.”

Ash carried Linda on his back and began to walk home. As he walked along the forest path, Linda’s stomach growled.

“Huwah…”

Linda’s pressed her face against Ash’s shoulder in embarrassment. Ash made a wry smile as he turned his head and said,

“By the way, tonight’s dinner is your favourite stew.”

“Huh, stew!?”

Linda gleefully said, and at the same time, her belly growled again.

“It’s you this time, right?”

“No, it’s obviously you.”

“Uuh…”

“There’s no need to be embarrassed now, is there? We’re siblings, right?”

“You’re right…but it’s still a bit embarrassing.”

After that, Linda coyly went silent.

“Hey, onii-chan.”

After a while, she spoke with a somewhat serious tone.

“What is it?”

“I want to be your bride, onii-chan…”

Ash almost laughed out loud, but somehow managed to hold it together. It was because he sensed the serious intent which emanated from behind him. Ash was well aware that siblings could not get married. Having said that, it was a little too soon to break the truth to a five-year-old girl.

“Alright. When you grow up, Linda.”

Ash answered Linda with a hint of loneliness in his voice. By the time that Linda had grown up into a fine young lady, she would probably have forgotten all about this idea of ‘wanting to be her brother’s bride’. Unaware of Ash’s thoughts, Linda gleefully kicked her feet.

“It’s a promise then! You absolutely have to keep your promise!”

“H-Hey, stop moving around so much!”

Ash continued walking in this manner, and the home where his mother was waiting gradually came into view.

“Ash’s Childhood ~A.S.B.1359.08~” is closed.

Chapter 1 – Ash’s Determination and the New Student Council Organisation

Part 1

—Year 1366 of the A.S.B. calendar, the month of Pisces.

The magic ship Escavaron of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights had already been moored in the Academy City Ansarivan for quite some time.

“Huh…as expected of super-ancient magical engineering technology, it’s quite intriguing.”

Whilst in the cockpit, Mirabel wiped sweat from her forehead as she held a tool in her other hand. She lay prone on the ground under the navigator’s seat. Driven by her insatiable curiosity, she would observe how internal mechanisms worked so long as she found any panel that was seemingly removable. Mirabel had already repeated such a routine here for a while.

Last month, Oscaia I had just ascended to the throne in the neighbouring country. After that, the tumultuous days of the past vanished as if they had all just been a lie, and they enjoyed a smooth, trouble-free period that continued to this day. Mirabel considered this to be an excellent opportunity for her research activities.

“—Princess-sama, excuse me.”

The door was pushed open, and her personal maid Eunice walked in. Mirabel rescinded her status as the Third Princess of the Lautreamont Knight Country in exchange for joining Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights. Yet, Eunice continued to address her as ‘princess-sama’, nonetheless.

“Oh, is it already teatime?”

Mirabel glanced back in surprise. After all, she had only just tasted that black tea at nine o’clock in the morning.

“No, I’m here to deliver letters.”

Eunice said, while presenting a stack of letters at the same time. There were so many that she had to secure them with both hands.

“What is all of that?”

Mirabel frowned as she asked, and in response, Eunice made a wry smile.

“They’re mainly petitions sent by students because they want to join Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights…”

Mirabel was both amazed and proud of the number of letters before her. She understood the thoughts and feelings of the students. After all, Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights had just shown off their incredible aptitude, and they were anchored right next to the Academy. Moreover, including Knight Commander Ash, most of their members were also students. Mirabel had actually foreseen that people would want to join their group. Having said that, she couldn’t simply accept everything with joy.

“We’re really popular, but I still want to avoid accepting too many students if possible. Our foundation as an independent country isn’t solid yet, and the number of people that the Escavaron can accommodate is limited.”

“Indeed.”

“Aside from these petitions, are there any other letters?”

“Yes. We have also received interview requests from media outlets all over the world.”

“Again? They certainly don’t know when to give up…”

As the commander, Ash did his best not to appear in public so as to avoid the spotlight. Nonetheless, given his immense achievements, it was only natural that reporters would come knocking on his door.

“It would be best to politely decline. Our actions are most certainly not for the sake of status or honour. And, perhaps…spies from the Empire might disguise themselves as reporters.”

“That is indeed a possibility. The Empire seems to have been somewhat quiet as of late, but…by the way, Princess-sama?”

Mirabel couldn’t help but feel a bit curious when Eunice suddenly switched to a serious tone.

“It’s about time that you get dressed…”

“Oh, sorry. How forgetful of me.”

Mirabel hadn’t realised until now that she was dressed only in her underwear, which was rather inappropriate. After acquiring her long-awaited holy relic — the magical ship Escavaron, its analysis was just about the only thing that weighed on her mind. Following the same routine this morning, she went straight to the cockpit and didn’t even bother spending the time to get dressed after taking a bath.

“Here, princess-sama. Please put this on.”

With Eunice’s assistance, Mirabel slid her arms into the sleeves of a blouse. It was at that moment when the door suddenly opened…

“Good day, Mirabel-san — uwah!?”

Ash appeared at the doorway.

“—!?”

Mirabel’s face immediately became hot. Eunice was buttoning up her blouse, but she hadn’t put her skirt on yet.

“Nooooooooooo!”

Mirabel made a high-pitched shriek as she crouched down on the spot. She was so embarrassed that her cheeks felt like they were about to burst into flames.

“You mustn’t look, Ash-sama!”

Eunice exerted an impressive amount of strength as she pushed Ash back out through the doorway.

…A few minutes later.

“I’m sorry…”

Ash made a deep bow and apologised when he was finally allowed to enter the cockpit. In actuality, a clear view of Mirabel’s underwear had already been imprinted in his mind — that included details such as its violet silk material and bright lace decoration.

“…No. It’s my fault for getting dressed in the cockpit.”

Let’s put this matter to rest — Mirabel lightly coughed a few times as if to convey this, and then sat down in the captain’s seat.

“So, what’s the matter today?”

“Well, there’s isn’t actually anything in particular, but…I just felt like talking to you, Mirabel-san.”

“Eh!?”

Mirabel’s cheeks were dyed an even deeper shade of red compared to when she was seen in her underwear. She fidgeted shyly, her thighs rubbed against each other, and she exuded an alluring charm.

“I wanted to talk to you about Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights.”

“About the Knights?”

Mirabel’s expression seemed to indicate a complicated blend of simultaneous relief and disappointment.

“Yes. It’s been a month now since Oscar’s ascension to the throne. I’ve thought about it a lot during this time, but I just can’t see what we should do or what we should be aiming for…”

Ash expressed his feelings in a sincere manner.

“Indeed, we’ve made great progress in the past month. The Chevron Kingdom and Lautreamont Knight Country have signed a treaty of alliance, and Raquel has also officially recognised us as an independent country.”

“Yes. With things going so smoothly, I’m honestly a little scared, but I suppose it’s only natural when reflecting on the achievements of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights.”

“Yes. And in terms of funding, both Paladin Oswald and Oscar have offered their assistance. Thanks to them, the cost of maintenance for the magic ship has fallen — but it feels as if something is still amiss.”

“That’s probably because of the relationship between Mordred and Cassandra-anesama, right? The whereabouts of Kiira Brava Henriksen are still unknown as well.”

“That’s one of the reasons. However, there are still other things that worry me.”

When Ash said that, for some reason, the corners of Mirabel’s mouth formed a smile.

“Mirabel-san?”

“Hey, Ash? Aren’t you forgetting something important?”

At that moment, Mirabel’s demeanour shifted to that of an educator admonishing a student.

“There is no doubt that you are now the Commander of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights, in other words, a head of state. The people praise you as a Nation-Saving Hero…but in reality, you’re still just a student.”

“Yeah, that’s true…”

Mirabel gazed at the puzzled look on Ash’s face and then stood up.

“Your current priority should be your academic studies.”

“Can I really do that?”

Ash gazed back at Mirabel with a slightly anxious expression.

“You’re still a student of this Dragon Riding Academy, and that fact has not changed. I will also continue to serve as this Academy’s headmistress for a while.”

Ash had already heard about this matter. Although Mirabel wanted to quit her post and devote herself to research, both the Knight Country’s government and the students hoped that Mirabel would continue.

“That’s right. How about this?”

Mirabel clapped her hands together in a rarely seen gesture.

“Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights can just inherit the functions of the entire student council.”

“What!?”

Ash couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

“Yes, that would be for the best. After all, most of the current members are also officers of the student council. As the headmistress, I’d like to make it a formal request. Will you accept?”

Mirabel seemed quite pleased with her sudden flash of inspiration, and her expression was rather bright in comparison to Ash’s confused look. Upon seeing Mirabel’s expression, Ash also began to think that it was a good suggestion. Rather than a half-hearted approach where he was neither fully the Commander of the Knights or a student of the Academy, the best option was to fulfil his duties as a student first and foremost. Moreover, as for the future of the Knights, he had time to think about it while continuing his studies.

“Thank you, Mirabel-san. Thanks to you, all of my worries have cleared up!”

Ash stood up on impulse and took Mirabel’s hands. He clasped both of Mirabel’s slender hands with his own.

Mirabel’s eyes widened as she froze on the spot.

“Huh? Mirabel-san…?”

Ash tilted his head in confusion.

“Umm, Ash-sama? If this continues, it might be a bit too much for princess-sama to handle…”

Eunice said to Ash with a wry smile. At that moment…

“—I know you’re here, Ash!”

When the door was pushed open, Eco unreservedly appeared.

“What are you dawdling for? We have a meeting in Julius Hall soon!”

Silvia followed after her.

“Good morning, Ash-sama.”

A few seconds later, it was Cosette who offered a gentle greeting.

“…Hey, Ash. What the hell are you doing to aneue!?”

Silvia’s expression instantly changed.

“You’re not planning to make a move on Mirabel too, are you?”

Eco’s infuriation seemed to resemble a dragon baring its fangs.

“I-It’s not like that! This is a misunderstanding!”

Ash hurriedly let go of Mirabel’s hands.

“The enemy of women must be dealt with by the hammer of death — that’s my family motto!”

“I’m going to trample you!”

Silvia unleashed her iron fist, while Eco erupted with a heavy kick.

Part 2

At eleven o’clock in the morning, in the meeting room of Julius Hall.

“The reason that you’ve all been gathered here today is—”

Rebecca coolly stood up and began to speak.

“I’m going to announce what should have been decided last autumn.”

“Why so formal…what is it?”

Jessica asked with a look of surprise.

“Yes, it’s about the student council’s new organisational structure.”

Those words caused Ash to breathe a sigh of relief. Just as Rebecca said, the student council’s new structure was supposed to have been decided in the autumn of last year. If two or more people wanted to have the same position, it would be put to a vote. However, because the <Schwarz Drachen Panzer> led by Klaus had destroyed many Academy facilities, the students spent a lot of time rebuilding the Academy.

The devastated Apollo House had just been rebuilt, and its inauguration ceremony was only a few days ago. Including Ash and Eco, the male students of the Senios course who originally lived in Apollo House moved back into the dormitory and enjoyed peaceful lives. Along with the completion of the new Apollo House, most of the Academy City had also been reconstructed. As such, it was only natural that Rebecca would bring up the topic of a new organisational structure at this time.

“Even the graduation ceremony for the third years of the Senios course was postponed again following a postponement. I should’ve graduated a long time ago.”

Rebecca smiled as she looked down at her uniform. She then cast her sharp gaze towards Ash.

“Ash.”

“Yes!”

Ash sensed the unusual atmosphere and hurriedly stood up. Rebecca gazed straight at Ash and awe-inspiringly declared,

“I hope that you can take over as the next Student Council President.”

“I’m going to take over as the Student Council President!?”

Ash’s entire body tensed up. He recalled what Rebecca said to him last summer. Back then, Julius Hall had just been unsealed and Ash was cleaning the interior. When it was just him and Rebecca…

—I want you to become the next Student Council President. I’m going to graduate in half a year’s time, so I need to start looking for candidates to be my successor.

Indeed, it had already been more half a year since then. The time for a successor to be determined had finally arrived. The air in the room was filled with tension as everyone focused their attention to Ash. Ash suddenly recalled the events that transpired a year ago. Back then, Eco wasn’t born yet, and he was still regarded as the Academy’s Number One Problem Child. The idea of holding such a position would’ve been a dream as distant as clouds in the sky. Unexpectedly, he had just been nominated as the successor by the current president, Rebecca. The heavy responsibility that came with it caused Ash to tremble. However, he was no longer the same person that he once was. In addition to his irreplaceable partner, Eco, he was also blessed with the support of many friends, such as Silvia. I should be able to do it now — Ash thought to himself. As if everything had been arranged by the hand of fate, Ash naturally answered,

“I humbly accept.”

Following a moment’s silence, Ash was surrounded by a warm round of applause.

Part 3

That afternoon.

An impromptu assembly was held in the auditorium, and a grand announcement of the new student council organisation was made.

President: Ash Blake Vice President: Silvia Lautreamont Secretary: Lucca Sarlinen Treasurer: Maximillian Russell Disciplinary Affairs Officer: Jessica Valentine General Affairs Officer: Raymond Kirkland Mascot: Eco

The only member who could be considered as new was Raymond. They had worked together since Ash’s foundation of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights, so he was entrusted with general affairs. On the other hand, Jessica’s appointment as the Disciplinary Affairs Officer was a subject of much debate. Because Jessica always coveted Ash’s seed, there were doubts as to whether she could be the Disciplinary Affairs Officer…although some people raised such objections, it was decided because of Jessica’s overwhelming enthusiasm and the fact that there were no other candidates. The impromptu assembly concluded with Mirabel’s declaration.

“I hereby announce — Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights will henceforth be provisionally based in Ansarivan. At the same time, they will carry out activities as members of the Academy’s student council.”

“Prologue of Part III ~A.S.B.1366.03~” is closed.

Chapter 2 – Rebecca’s Graduation Ceremony

Part 1

The day after the student council’s new organisation was announced.

In a room in the new Apollo House, Ash lay in a light sleep. He was almost awake and his mind was already clear and sober, but he felt that it would be a pity to wake up like this, so he turned his back to the rising rays of sunlight that shot in through the window.

“Ngh…ngaw…”

Eco began to bite on Ash’s side whilst still asleep.

“Uhh…don’t, Eco…”

Although he said that, Ash was actually filled with simultaneous joy and nostalgia. After all, this was a long-awaited nibble. Nibbling was a characteristic only seen in newborn young dragons, and Eco was probably about to progress from that stage…or so Ash originally thought, but it seemed that she still had this characteristic. However, Ash didn’t have much time to continue enjoying it. Eco’s nibbling grew harder and more intense with each passing second, and it had already exceeded the level of mere ‘nibbling’. Naturally, Ash had already become accustomed to it. As Eco’s jaw gradually increased in strength, he casually rolled over. This caused her sharp teeth to gently part from his flank.

“Unyu…!”

Eco made a displeased grunt as if she was a dragon that had accidentally allowed its prey to escape. Even in a state of deep sleep, she probably still had the feeling of ‘letting prey escape’. Eco then tossed and turned for a while, until she finally ended up resting her head on Ash’s shoulder. She then curled up and began to breathe in a steady, regular pattern. Her adorable appearance made Ash’s heart skip a beat. Up until this point, she had been cute much like a small animal. But it was different now — when she snuggled up close to Ash with an angelic sleeping face, she was undoubtedly a girl. Ash gazed carefully at Eco’s sleeping face. In the latter half of the next month, Eco would celebrate her first birthday. In the process of living together, she had gradually begun to look more and more like a girl.

“Eco…”

Finally, Ash’s gaze rested on Eco’s lips.

Her rich, cherry coloured lips exuded a certain lustre. Ash found his eyes glues to her rosebud-like lips. Eco really is cute — such thoughts welled up in his mind.

“……”

Ash gulped.

—I really want to kiss her.

Ash normally suppressed himself with sound reason and logic, but he was unusually excited and uninhibited this morning. He obeyed his instinctual emotions and slowly yet surely approached Eco’s face.

—Knock knock.

Someone suddenly knocked on his door. Like a child caught in the middle of a prank, Ash instantly shot up.

“Hngh!?”

Because Eco had been resting on Ash’s shoulder, she abruptly fell onto the bedsheets as a result.

—…Knock knock.

The knocking repeated itself. It certainly wasn’t an auditory hallucination. Ash flipped open the cover of the silver pocket watch beside his pillow, noting that it was only eight o’clock. Although it wasn’t considered early, it was still spring break, so it wasn’t a particularly appropriate time for a visitor.

“Who could it be…?”

Ash rubbed his drowsy eyes as he walked over to the door. The locks in the new Apollo House had been upgraded to a two-tier system. Ash unlocked the first one and slowly opened the door.

“…!”

Ash was taken aback as soon as he caught a glimpse of the person outside through the crack in the doorway.

“Rebecca-san!?”

Indeed, the person who stood leisurely in front of his room door was the <Scarlet Empress>.

“W-Why are you here at this time!? Is there an emergency?”

After heaving a sigh, Rebecca crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“You’re too lax, Ash. It may be spring break, but you’re the president now, so you should be trying your best to do simple things like sleeping early and rising early.”

“I’m sorry…”

Ash shrunk back. Upon seeing this, a smile emerged on Rebecca’s face.

“Oh, I didn’t come here to lecture you though. U-Umm…there’s something I have to discuss with you.”

Rebecca’s attitude took a turn as she suddenly appeared shy and her gaze wandered about unsteadily.

“You wanted to discuss something with me, Rebecca-san?”

Ash gazed at Rebecca in surprise. Whilst it was possible for Ash to seek Rebecca out for advice or discussion, the opposite of that was totally unimaginable.

“I’ll be waiting for you in St. Durham Square at eleven o’clock today, and I’d be very grateful if you can come. That’s all I wanted to say…so make sure you come, alright?”

After repeating this confirmation, Rebecca walked off. Ash stood in a daze as a wave of her sweet and refreshing fragrance lingered over him. Rebecca’s request was certainly a surprise, but what was even more concerning was her expression and demeanour. She was practically like a maiden in love who gave off a warm, affectionate vibe. The next instant, a snow-shite hand extended from beside Ash, pinching his cheek hard and pulling it to the side.

“Ash?”

At some point unbeknownst to him, Eco had snuck up behind Ash.

“Eho!? Wore walweady awake?”

“Thanks to a certain someone who suddenly bounced up, my neck hurts, you see.”

Eco answered with displeasure as she let go of Ash’s cheek.

“S-Sorry…”

“Never mind that. So, you’re going on a date with Rebecca today? You’ve got guts to make secret appointments behind my back, you know?”

A chill ran down Ash’s spine as he faced the glare of her fiery red eyes.

“I-I-It’s not a date! It seems like she wants to discuss something serious with me.”

“Rebecca wants to discuss something with you? That’s rather unusual.”

Eco tilted her head in surprise.

“I also get the feeling that Rebecca-san seems to be acting is somewhat different from usual.”

“Okay…fine, I get it.”

After Eco heaved a deep sigh, she let go of Ash’s cheek.

“It feels like I’m the bad person if I stop you from seeing Rebecca, so I’m letting you go.”

“Really!?”

“In return, you have to treat me to a crepe when you come back! Also, if you dare to do anything weird to Rebecca…I’ll trample you!”

Eco sternly commanded before letting out a yawn and returning to bed.

Part 2

With an endlessly clear blue sky overhead, it was truly excellent weather for a date.

“…Geez, what am I getting excited about!?”

After muttering such words of reprimand to himself, Ash stepped into St. Durham Square. In order to commemorate the completion of the Academy’s reconstruction, street vendors who would not normally be seen had set up stalls everywhere. Among the vendors, there was also a stall that sold the crepes that Eco wanted. The restaurants and shops that faced the square also had gorgeous decorations at their entrances or windows, creating a lively and festive atmosphere. There were clearly a lot more tourists around than usual. Ash marched through the crowd and eventually stood beside the statue of St. Durham. It was a customary meeting point that people used when dating. In any case, Ash felt relieved that he had arrived earlier than Rebecca. About five minutes later, when Ash’s silver pocket watch indicated that it was ten to eleven—.

—Clack.

The sound of something knocking on the cobblestone road caught Ash’s attention. He couldn’t help but look toward the direction of the sound. A beautiful lady walked into the square.

“…!”

Ash’s eyes widened. The instant that the beautiful woman entered his field of view, time seemed to stand still. Even the colours of the square seemed to change all of a sudden. The citizens and tourists who were present also focused their attention on the sudden visitor. She simply continued to stride forward, and the crowd naturally parted to the left and right for her.

“She…it can’t be……!”

Ash fell silent as he was mesmerised by the movements of the beauty. Her fiery red hair was elegantly tied up with a ribbon and hung over the left side of her chest. Her pure white blouse clearly accentuated the lines of her cleavage. On her lower body was a black miniskirt and knee-high lace-up boots. Ash watched on in fascination as the beauty crossed the square, the heels of her boots clicking with each step. At last, she stood before Ash and stopped.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Ash.”

As her awe-inspiring voice met his ears, the spring breeze carried a refreshing scent with it.

“Umm……you’re Rebecca-san, right?”

“Ufufu. And who else would I be?”

Her appearance made her seem like a totally different person compared to when she was in her uniform. Although the citizens in the square were all awed by Rebecca’s beauty, none of them seemed to have discovered that she was in fact the former student council president of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

“It’s because…you feel completely different compared to how you normally are, Rebecca-san…”

“Yet here you are, neatly dressed in your uniform today. It’s currently spring break, so there’s no need to wear your uniform outside the Academy, you know?”

“S-Sorry…”

“Oh, there’s no need to apologise. But, Ash? Don’t you have anything to say about my casual dress?”

Rebecca straightened her back and posed like a model. It was as if her standing posture was enveloped in bright red flames, and she even gave off a somewhat sacred aura.

“Y-You’re very beautiful, and it really suits you…!”

If Ash had the talent for poetry, he might’ve been able to give her more intimate compliments, but this was already the best that he could manage with his vocabulary. Fortunately, it seemed at least his sincerity had been conveyed.

“Thank you, Ash.”

Rebecca smiled contently and then began to walk.

“Since it’s a rare opportunity, let’s talk while we eat.”

Part 3

Ash and Rebecca left St. Durham Square side by side.

—It’s almost like a date…

Everyone who passed by would first take notice of Rebecca’s beauty, and then stare at Ash who walked beside her. Ash began to feel embarrassed by the countless number of gazes that were directed at him. In any case, the current Rebecca seemed completely mismatched with him. However, he gradually began to hear various voices from his surroundings.

“Hey, isn’t that Ash Blake-sama!?”

“It really is! It’s the Nation-Saving Hero Ash Blake-sama!”

“Who is Ash-sama’s companion? Could it possibly be his lover!?”

“I feel as though I’ve seen that beauty somewhere…?”

It seemed even Ash was unaware that both his name and appearance had already become widely known. In particular, Ash sensed a warmth and passion from the eyes of women.

“Fufu. You’ve already become a celebrity.”

Rebecca jokingly said.

“C-Certainly not…I’ve still got a long way to go.”

“This charm is one of your strengths, so just be aware of it in the future. Ash Blake, the young dragon Eco, and Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights have indeed become famous. Especially in the Chevron Kingdom, Avalon’s popularity has risen exponentially.”

“Really!? I always tried to be careful to avoid being in the spotlight…”

“That’s probably something that Oscar — no, Oscaia I did. She publicly declared that she was able to ascend to the throne only because of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights.”

“I don’t think Oscar meant any harm, but it’s a bit troubling to have too much fame and attention.”

“Going by past examples, trends in the Kingdom will spread to the Knight Country in about a years’ time. In another year, perhaps Avalon will be all the rage here in the Knight Country.”

Rebecca said with a hearty laugh.

“Kuh…by that time, I may no longer be able to walk down a main street like this anymore.”

Upon seeing Ash’s shoulders droop in disappointment, Rebecca revealed a mischievous smile.

“Oh, it should be possible with a bit of a makeover. In fact, it seems no one recognises me as Rebecca Randall. Maybe it’s because I leave too strong an impression when I’m wearing my uniform.”

“I see, a makeover huh. In that case, I should wear glasses like Max to try it out.”

“No no, don’t you have the special move called ‘Ashley’?”

“What!? How did that turn into my special move!?”

For Ash, his experience of cross-dressing was a past that he did not want to look back on.

“Haha, I’m just kidding. Max is probably the only one who would be happy about you cross-dressing. Having said that, no one in the world should recognise that that lovely girl is actually Ash Blake in disguise. From this perspective, don’t you think that cross-dressing is unexpectedly useful?”

“Well, I suppose you’re right about that…”

Ash nodded with an anguished expression just as Rebecca suddenly stopped.

“I think this store is good.”

What stood before them was a building constructed of red bricks. The design of the door was rather ornate, creating an atmosphere that was somewhat intimidating for entry. It seemed like a specialty restaurant of Chevron cuisine.

“Do you like Chevron cuisine, Ash?”

Upon hearing this abrupt question, Ash scratched his head.

“Rather than a question of whether I like it or not, Chevron cuisine seems to have a high-end feel, so…I’ve pretty much never had it.”

“Then, this is a good opportunity. To celebrate Oscaia I’s coronation, this store just so happens to be running a discount promotion.”

Rebecca took Ash by the arm. As soon as he was drawn in, his elbow met with Rebecca’s bosom.

“…!”

The surprisingly soft sensation caused Ash to subconsciously hold his breath.

“Oh my, why is your face so red?”

Like a little devil, Rebecca mischievously peered at Ash’s face.

“I-It’s nothing! L-Let’s head in then.”

With Rebecca’s touch and a fragrance that was reminiscent of a mature woman, Ash walked through the restaurant’s door.

Part 4

Since it was just after eleven o’clock, there weren’t many people in the restaurant. The only customers who had arrived earlier than them were an old couple and a pair of young lovers. Even though Ash was unfamiliar with Chevron culture, he could feel the owner’s commitment. Everything in the restaurant from styling to decoration was clearly Chevron-style. Upon a stage at one end of the restaurant was a young performer who played the lyre. Their graceful melody was reminiscent of court music. Perhaps it was a piece of music from the Kingdom. With the waitress’ guidance, Ash and Rebecca sat down at the innermost table. In reading the menu, Ash found that it was indeed a high-end restaurant, but they also had unexpectedly inexpensive meals available. Both Ash and Rebecca ordered a simple set lunch meal. While waiting for their food to be served, Rebecca gazed at Ash with strangely passionate eyes.

“Fufu. This atmosphere makes it feel like a tryst.”

“Y-Yeah…”

Ash nervously answered. He had been restless and unable to calm down.

“What’s the matter, Ash? You’re not nervous, are you?”

“Well, actually…”

Ash made a stiff smile. He was sitting at a table opposite the <Scarlet Empress> in a restaurant. Moreover, a particularly dolled-up Rebecca rested her chin over her folded arms on the table. As she gazed up slightly at him, the smile on her face even appeared to be one directed towards a lover. It would’ve been odd if he wasn’t nervous. Rebecca chuckled as she said,

“Oh my, those aren’t the words that a hero praised by the Paladin should say, right?”

“It’s because I’m here with you, Rebecca-san.”

“……!”

After Ash said so in a straightforward manner, Rebecca displayed a rare expression of surprise. Perhaps it was just Ash’s imagination, but it appeared as though her cheeks were slightly flushed.

“…You’ve matured a lot too. I didn’t expect you to say that so lightly.”

Rebecca’s expression was tinged with a hint of reluctance as she averted her gaze from him. In that moment, Rebecca looked so cute that it was difficult to even imagine her usually decisive manner. Just as Ash’s heart pounded restlessly, the waitress finally delivered their meals. Each meal was only served with a small portion in the centre of the plate. For growing young people, it was on the light side, but this was probably a tradition of Chevron cuisine. Moreover, Chevron cuisine seemed to place special emphasis on the presentation of each dish. Every plate was colourfully decorated to give people the sensation that they were admiring an array of gemstones. It almost seemed like a pity to eat it. The two of them put their hands together at the same time and offered a prayer to Saint Rosa Maria.

“Alright, let’s eat.”

Rebecca gracefully picked up a knife and a fork, and Ash followed suit. The first course that Ash chose was sautéed duck breast.

“I’ve heard that duck meat is the most flavourful of all poultry.”

“Really? It’s my first time having duck.”

Ash gulped and then placed a bite-sized piece of meat into his mouth. The instant that he bit down, he was impressed by the crispiness of the skin and tenderness of the meat. At the same time, the sweet and spicy flavours of the sauce and meat juices on the tip of his tongue intertwined for a lively duet that left both his mind and body in awe.

“It’s so good…!”

“Fufu. That’s great.”

Rebecca revealed a mature smile as she seemed to have finally recovered her usual calmness. Ash and Rebecca discussed the dishes that sat before them while they ate. Because the atmosphere between them was so pleasant, Ash momentarily forgot about the focus of today. Rebecca also seemed to avoid the subject. The sweet serenade of the lyre also added to the pleasant atmosphere. Just as their bavarois desserts were brought to the table — Ash braced himself and finally asked,

“Umm, Rebecca-san? When you said that you wanted to discuss something with me, what did you mean…?”

In an instant, as if a spell had been undone, Rebecca’s expression became serious.

“There’s actually something that’s been bothering me. It’s about…my future.”

In that moment, Ash thought to himself, ‘she’s finally going to say it’. Rebecca wasn’t just the former student council president, she also possessed immense strength and ability as an Ark Dragonar. Ash had always been curious about Rebecca’s future pathway. From Ash’s standpoint, he naturally hoped that Rebecca would continue to stay in Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights. But, if Rebecca wanted to use the opportunity of her graduation to take another pathway, then he couldn’t stop her.

“…Do you know about the ‘Maestro Award’?”

Upon hearing this abrupt question, Ash tilted his head.

“Uh…I think I might’ve heard of it, or maybe not…”

“Back when I was in my second year of the Senios course, Paladin Oswald personally presented me with that award. I think it would’ve been a fairly big deal at the time…”

“Sorry. I didn’t have a Pal back then, so I was too busy worrying about myself…”

“Ah that’s right, Ash Blake used to be called ‘The Academy’s Number One Problem Child’.”

Rebecca made a wry smile as she explained,

“The Maestro Award is given to students for their achievements at the Dragon Riding Academy. A so-called newcomers award, if you will. It’s said that the criteria for the award is very strict, and if you want to find any of the winners before me, you’ll have to go back at least ten years.”

“Ten years!?”

Ash widened his eyes. When it was equated to a newcomer’s award, he thought that someone must’ve been selected every year.

“Naturally, I’m still proud of having received that award…but the problem lies in its prize.”

“What kind of prize was it?”

“To join the Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars as an officer cadet. At the time, I signed the contract without hesitation…”

Rebecca directed her gaze to the untouched bavarois as she softly sighed.

“In the past, I’d always aimed to work for the Order of Holy Dragonars. I even went to their training facility as a special trainee and asked Captain Ursula to train me…but, Ash. Now, the Order of Holy Dragonars isn’t that attractive anymore.”

Rebecca lifted her face. Her emerald eyes wavered slightly as she stared straight at Ash.

“Now, I want to be a member of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights and support you as I stand by your side.”

Rebecca made a shy expression and she gently extended her right hand. The back of Ash’s left hand which sat on the white tablecloth was smothered by a warm touch. Rebecca placed her hand over Ash’s hand — the distance between them seemed to shorten all at once, and Ash’s heart skipped a beat. With a sincere look in her eyes, Rebecca then said,

“No matter what obstacles appear, I want to be with you.”

“Rebecca-san…”

“For you, I plan to return the Maestro Award back to Paladin Oswald. As for the contract to join the Order of Holy Dragonars, I intend to cancel it—”

Just when Rebecca resolutely said so…

“Don’t underestimate my intelligence network! I know you’re in here, Rebecca!”

A caustic voice resounded through the restaurant. The performer had already taken cover in the back room as their elegant melody abruptly stopped. An uncomfortable silence filled the restaurant. The restaurant’s atmosphere gradually grew more serious, and the lingering silence seemed as though it was on the verge of collapse. Suddenly, a sequence of heavy footsteps like those of a funeral procession resounded. It seemed that the unknown visitors wore iron-soled boots.

“That voice just then, it couldn’t possibly be…”

Ash trembled as he spoke, and his entire body stiffened up. The voice that yelled out earlier was certainly familiar, and he had previously experienced this heavy atmosphere as well. Unsurprisingly, the person who majestically appeared was dressed in a full suit of armour — First Princess Veronica Lautreamont. Behind her, in addition to the captain of her personal guard, Glenn McGuire, a platoon of brawny knights also marched in single file.

“So, you personally came for me, Your Highness…”

Rebecca knelt down politely in front of Veronica.

“Rebecca. You were awarded the prestigious Maestro Award, but I’ve heard that you plan to nullify your contract to join the Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars…”

Veronica spoke in a cold voice, and at the same time, she shoved a document into Rebecca’s hands.

“This is the contract that you signed with the Order of Holy Dragonars when you received the Maestro Award. Didn’t you plan to join the Order as an officer cadet immediately after your graduation?”

“Umm…”

Rebecca couldn’t help but hesitate. Due to her serious personality, it probably made her quite uncomfortable to break the contract. Veronica’s insight and mobility was also impressive given that she was able to determine Rebecca’s mood and come to Ansarivan. This was also proof of the high hopes that she had for Rebecca.

“Rebecca. Don’t you think that invalidating a contract that has been officially signed is an act which goes against the spirit of chivalry?”

With a pained expression, Rebecca remained silent. At that moment, Ash finally returned to his senses. Because he had been so startled by the situation, he remained seated in a daze, and only now did he hurriedly kneel down beside Rebecca.

“Princess Veronica, I implore you! Indeed, I also believe that a contract should not be broken. However, a long time has passed since the contract was originally signed. It’s reasonable for one’s life goals to change, is it not? I think Rebecca-san’s feelings right now are most important.”

“Huh!? Ash!? Y-You were here as well…?”

Surprisingly, Veronica’s momentum weakened as soon as Ash voiced his opinion. On that topic, Ash thought back. Veronica’s attitude towards Ash seemed to have dramatically changed ever since the dinner banquet that was held in Fontaine Palace. The reaction that she displayed was like that of an innocent maiden. If Veronica could understand his sincerity, perhaps—

“S-Shut up! Ash, I may owe you a great debt, but these two matters shouldn’t be confused!”

Unfortunately, the slight expectation that Ash had fell short. After all, in order to persuade Rebecca, Veronica had travelled all the way here, and her attitude wasn’t going to be softened just by Ash’s intervention.

“…Sorry to interrupt, Veronica-sama. I think, by now, it’s no longer possible to persuade her with words. How about enacting ‘Plan B’?”

Her guard captain Glenn politely interjected.

“Yes…I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Veronica finally seemed to regain her composure.

“Rebecca. I’ve heard that the Dragon Riding Academy hasn’t held its graduation ceremony yet, is that right?”

Veronica suddenly changed the subject.

“…Yes. We did our best to complete the reconstruction work before the beginning of the new semester. Although the reconstruction was successfully completed, the graduation ceremony was repeatedly delayed…and it has been decided that it is scheduled to be held at the end of this month.”

Rebecca calmly responded.

“Then, for this year’s graduation ceremony, why don’t I plan a special event?”

“…?”

“On the day of the graduation ceremony — you will bet your own future on an official duel against one of my knights. If you win and determine your own path, then I will allow you to void the contract. You will be free to do as you wish. However, if you are defeated, then you will obediently join the Order of Holy Dragonars. Moreover, you will not be given the elite path of an officer cadet, and instead, you will start from scratch as a rookie knight!”

“Princess Veronica! With all due respect, this is—”

“You keep your mouth shut, Ash!”

Veronica bellowed at Ash, and then glared at Rebecca.

“What’s wrong, Rebecca?”

“…It sounds like it’ll be a rather memorable graduation ceremony.”

Ash couldn’t help but shudder as he saw a blaze instantaneously ignite in Rebecca’s eyes.

“I understand. The fault for this lies with me, yet you’ve still given me an opportunity, Your Highness Veronica. I thank you for your generosity.”

Despite the respectful choice and tone of her words, Rebecca’s eyes were undoubtedly burning with the fighting spirit of a knight. Ash was reminded that Rebecca was most certainly a true knight.

“The deal is struck. As for your opponent, I will select them from the elites of the Order of Holy Dragonars. That is all!”

After Veronica made such an announcement resolutely, she flipped her cloak as she prepared to turn around and leave. But…she suddenly stopped. Clang…her iron boots ruffled and made noise.

“By the way, Ash? It might be a bit late to ask, but…why are you here? You wouldn’t be…here alone with Rebecca…on a date, would you?”

—Dooooon!

An astonishing air of intimidation suddenly erupted. Like a frog being glared at by a snake, Ash couldn’t help but sweat.

“N-No! I swear to Saint Rosa Maria, I haven’t done anything untoward!”

“…Hmm. You swear to the Saint, huh. If you say so, then I’ll believe you.”

Ash exhaled and heaved a sigh of relief, but it only lasted for a moment.

“By the way, Ash!”

“Y-Yes!”

Ash straightened his posture, and Rebecca coughed dryly to clear her throat.

“Umm, well…whenever you feel like it…you can come to visit me in the palace.”

“Huh?”

“Anyway, farewell!”

This time, Veronica actually took her leave. In this manner, he somehow managed to survive—

“By the way, Ash?”

Rebecca suddenly leaned towards Ash with a troubled look on her face.

“What’s the matter?”

The two of them grew so close that there was barely any distance left between their noses. Ash found himself at a loss in the face of such a peerless beauty.

“Ash, I’m thinking, there isn’t…something going on between you and Her Highness Veronica, is there? I got the feeling that Her Highness was watching you, as if with a strangely passionate gaze.”

“N-No, that’s impossible!”

“Hmm, how suspicious…”

Rebecca drew even closer. Ash couldn’t help but panic in the face of her unexpected questioning.

Part 5

The days that followed flew past—.

Today was the day of the graduation ceremony. All of the students in the academy had already become aware of Rebecca’s wager to determine her future. After the graduation certificates were issued in the morning, everyone waited in the arena for the match the start. The audience stands were already full. Most of the audience members were students who had come to cheer for Rebecca, as well as citizens who had caught wind of the rumour and came to join the festivity.

First Princess Veronica had arrived well in advance. She sat in an area specially reserved for the royal family, surrounded by the members of her personal guard. The officers of the student council and members of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights also gathered in a corner of the gallery. Eco and Silvia sat on the left and right sides of Ash respectively, while Lucca and Jessica sat behind him. Mirabel and Anya also attended, along with the particularly conspicuous maids Cosette and Eunice. Raymond and Max sat side by side next to this group of gorgeous women.

—A bell rang out, indicating that there was still fifteen minutes before the match would begin. The audience members made use of this time to enjoy their food. Although this was a very important match for Ash and the others, it was only a form of entertainment for everyone else. Salespeople offering lunchboxes, snacks, drinks and liquor were all busily running all over the arena.

“We have crepes from street vendors for sale, they’re freshly baked!”

Eco’s ears twitched as soon as she heard such words.

“Wait, crepe vendor! Me, me!”

Eco quickly stood up and waved at her.

“I want a strawberry crepe!”

“Right away!”

The crepe vendor trotted over to Eco with a smile on her face. She was a lively girl who looked to be just a little older than Ash.

“Hey, don’t just randomly order stuff! Didn’t you just have lunch?”

Ash reprimanded Eco as she puffed out her cheeks.

“It’d bring shame to the dragon race if I didn’t eat a crepe that was right in front of me! It’s my family motto!”

“Don’t copy other people! And what kind of family motto is that!?”

Silvia spiritedly said to Eco, who had boldly made such a declaration.

“What does it matter!? I just wanted to talk about it suddenly!”

“Don’t fabricate a family motto just because you ‘wanted to talk about it suddenly’!”

With Ash in between them, Eco and Silvia began to quarrel.

“Umm…”

The crepe vendor still had a businesslike smile across her face as she remained rooted in place, so Ash hurriedly took his wallet out. She had gone out of her way to come to the seating area for the student council, so he would’ve felt sorry for her if they didn’t buy anything.

“Sorry…I’ll pay for it. Please give me one strawberry crepe.”

The instant that Ash spoke to her, the girl’s eyes lit up.

“Excuse me! Are you Ash Blake-sama of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights!?”

The girl asked with flushed cheeks, making Ash feel somewhat confused.

“Huh? Uh, yeah…”

“It’s an honour to meet you! Uh, this…consider it a gift for protecting the Knight Country. No need to pay!”

“No, I couldn’t possibly—”

“I love you, Ash-sama! Kyaa, I said it~”

The girl ran off before Ash could finish his sentence. Left in Ash’s hands were two crepes which had been wrapped with thin paper. The crepes were probably baked just a while ago as they still emitted warmth. The sweet scent of strawberries and cream stimulated his nostrils. The next moment, a terrifying aura was emitted from beside Ash.

“I can’t let my guard down for even a moment…”

“Geez. You have such a lustful expression, Ash!”

At some point, Eco and Silvia became allies as they glowered viciously at Ash. Both of them crossed their arms as their eyes burned with rage. At the same time, Ash noticed that Mirabel, Jessica, Lucca and Anya also had uneasy expressions on their faces.

“No, wait! I didn’t do anything at all, you know!? That girl selling crepes suddenly gave me a present…since she gave it to me anyway, do you want to have it?”

“Of course!”

With a haughty expression, Eco firmly extended her hand.

“Shouldn’t you decline on this occasion!? Don’t you have any pride?”

Silvia scolded Eco in amazement.

“But the crepes are innocent. Ah, mmm…! Yum~! It tastes just like the crepes from the street stalls!”

Thanks to the crepes, Eco had become as docile as a kitten. With a thud, she sat back down next to Ash.

“Hmph, such a snob…”

Perhaps having run out of energy to get angry, Silvia also sat down in her seat.

“Though, I wonder who Princess Veronica assigned…”

Ash casually asked, after waiting until Silvia’s mood had recovered.

“…It does make me wonder. The match is about to begin, but aneue hasn’t announced her opponent, so something feels a bit weird.”

Silvia pensively frowned. The only dragon waiting next to the stage at this moment was Cú Chulainn. As for the other knight, not even their Pal had appeared yet.

“I don’t think it’s Captain Glenn. He’s still on duty as a guard at the moment.”

Ash looked towards Veronica’s personal guard. Captain Glenn was still busy issuing various instructions to his subordinates as they focused on protecting Veronica’s perimeter.

“Yes. It doesn’t seem like it’ll be Glenn-san or any member of her guard. No, wait. If aneue is serious about winning, then perhaps…”

“Princess-sama?”

Silvia suddenly frowned and sank into silence, causing Ash to feel an ominous premonition. At that moment, the audience erupted with cheers. It seemed that Rebecca’s figure had appeared in front of the audience. She wore a crimson Ark, and it was also her second form. The magic spear Gáe Bolg was firmly gripped in her right hand. Rebecca walked towards the centre of the arena and then lightly hopped onto Cú Chulainn’s head, who was standing by. The audience became even more enthusiastic with each moment. Cú Chulainn let out a majestic roar, and then with a heavy thud, it stepped up and walked onto the stage. Rebecca waved her hand with a smile in response to the cheers of the audience. She didn’t look the least bit nervous, and totally calm.

“As expected of Rebecca-san.”

Just as Ash muttered to himself with a hint of pride — a thundering roar caused the air in the venue to tremble. The shocked audience members lifted their heads and gazed to the sky in unison.

“That’s…!?”

Ash also caught sight of it. A single Maestro gradually approached from the far end of the sky. The Maestro’s enormous body inspired a sense of grandeur. It was probably the largest Maestro that existed. Like a falling meteor, the Maestro landed in the centre of the stage with a loud boom. Its wings fanned a roaring wind, and the audience members that sat in the front row were almost blown away.

“—Sorry to keep you all waiting.”

The Ark Dragonar that rode on top of the Maestro’s head spoke with a clear voice.

“It can’t be…!”

As if to compensate for the sentence that Ash was unable to finish…

“<Silent Virginia> — Captain Ursula and Maestro Galahad!”

Silvia uttered both of their names. It seemed that a decision had been made for Rebecca’s opponent to be Captain Ursula L. Selwyn today.

—Uooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh!

An ocean of enthusiastic cheers surged forth from the audience. The majority of the audience leaned forward to get a closer look at Ursula’s beauty. It could be said that the Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars didn’t have any achievements last year, but even so, Ursula’s popularity remained undiminished.

“That sister of mine! She’s so immature to send the captain out in a match like this…”

Silvia bitterly said. Puzzled, Ash asked,

“Hey, Princess-sama? Now that I think about it, I…hardly know anything about what kind of person Captain Ursula is. As a Dragonar, what category does she fall into?”

Silvia furrowed her brow as distress appeared to dominate her expression.

“…Hmm. She’s a very admirable person…but doesn’t seem to be very good at leadership. She’s said so herself publicly. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the Order of Holy Dragonars didn’t perform well last year. However—”

Silvia paused for a moment and swallowed.

“If we’re talking about a one-on-one battle, Captain Ursula could be described as the strongest in the world. For example…even Captain Glenn is no match for Captain Ursula at all.”

“No match at all!?”

Captain Glenn was the leader of Veronica’s personal guard, and if he didn’t even compare to her, just how strong was she?

“It may not sound nice to say this…but if I had to describe Captain Ursula with a single word, it would probably be ‘monster’.”

“Monster…”

Ash couldn’t help but sweat upon hearing such an astonishing description.

“Hmph, I can’t just pretend not to hear that! If we’re talking about the strongest in the world, it’s naturally going to be me and Ash as partners!”

Eco proudly interjected. She had already polished off both crepes, and a bit of cream lingered around the side of her mouth. Ash was about to wipe it off with his fingers, but he wasn’t afforded the opportunity. Because…Ursula made a proposal to Rebecca in that moment.

“Allow me to give you a handicap, Rebecca. If your attacks can damage my Ark even by a scratch, then it’s my loss.”

Her voice was certainly not too loud. Moreover, her tone seemed rather calm. Yet, her clear voice seemed to have reached every corner of the venue. A commotion was immediately stirred up among the audience. Ash glanced at the royal box without reservation. Although Veronica appeared unhappy at first, her expression gradually turned into a wry smile. It seemed that the offer of a handicap was Ursula’s own decision, which explained Veronica’s change in expression. However, the reason why that became a smile was likely just evidence that she trusted Ursula. The combat instructor serving as the referee loudly declared,

“The one-on-one battle begins now! The basic rules are in accordance with those of the Dragonars’ Gunnar Bout, though as proposed by Ursula L. Selwyn, a handicap will be given to Rebecca Randall. Both sides, get ready!”

The next moment, Ursula began to recite a chant.

“Appear, the two-dimensional sacred sword — its name is Fragarach.”

What appeared with a flash of light was an unbelievable sword. At first glance, only the sword’s hilt could be seen, but upon closer inspection, it was possible to see that the blade was composed of magic. Due to the constant flow of magical energy, the part that was equivalent to a blade turned it into a sword with very different properties when compared to a conventional steel sword.

“What does the ‘two-dimensional’ part of the name mean?”

Doubting his own ears, Ash turned to look at the side profile of Silvia’s face.

“It’s a sword where the blade’s thickness is extremely close to zero…that is, the blade is a perfectly flat surface. No matter how hard the material is, the sacred sword Fragarach can cut it apart like paper. Even an Ark would be no exception to that—”

“…!”

Just as Ash gasped in amazement, the bell rang to signal the start of the match.

Part 6

Simultaneously as the bell rang, Rebecca ordered Cú Chulainn to take flight.

“Magic spear Gáe Bolg — [Wheel of Fortune]!”

She suddenly opened fire and performed her ultimate technique.

—Boom!

Surprisingly, Ursula didn’t take any evasive action. The [Wheel of Fortune] was a weapon that put the consequence of a ‘hit’ first and then established the cause of the ‘attack’ later. Regardless of what evasive manoeuvres were taken, it was impossible to avoid a direct attack. Perhaps because of that — Ursula deliberately took Rebecca’s attack head-on. The shockwave kicked up a cloud of dust. The attack’s trajectory was undoubtedly straight at Ursula. Rebecca herself also felt the impact of landing a hit. However — as the dust settled, the scene laid out before Rebecca’s eyes was unbelievable.

“…Not a bad attack. With your current strength, you could serve as the leader of a hundred man squadron in the Order of Holy Dragonars.”

An extremely calm voice made its way to Rebecca’s ears. Ursula leisurely held her sacred sword, completely unscathed. There weren’t even any indications that she had put up a defensive magic shield. It appeared as though the sacred sword Fragarach had slashed the destined fate of Gáe Bolg apart, along with all of its magical energy.

“It’s my turn next.”

—Boom!

Accompanied by a shockwave, the figures of Ursula and Galahad disappeared. As if they had actually disappeared, they were gone from Rebecca’s field of view.

“—What!?”

While Rebecca was flabbergasted, she heard a whisper right by her ear.

“Too slow.”

As she heard that faint voice, an impact suddenly came from behind Rebecca.

“Kuh…!”

She wasn’t hit by the blade. She had been hit with the hilt — by the time that Rebecca had realised this, her body was already falling like a meteorite. If she had been slashed with the blade, then the outcome of the match would’ve been decided already.

“Ngh!”

Rebecca unleashed the energy that had accumulated in her Ark and finally managed to stop in mid-air. A powerful feeling of gravity invaded her body, making her weight feel several orders of magnitude heavier than before. In terms of regulations for the Dragonars’ Gunnar Bout, falling off one’s dragon meant defeat. Her feet couldn’t touch the ground no matter what.

“Guuuuu!”

The next instant, Galahad provoked Cú Chulainn.

“Grrrrr!”

Both dragons extended their forelimbs as a fierce struggle brewed between them. As soon as Ursula leapt off her Pal, she made a beeline for Rebecca, mercilessly brandishing a blade of magical energy.

“Kuh…!”

Rebecca somehow managed to dodge the series of attacks at the very last moment. Although she had thought to use her magic spear to parry, such an idea could be described as reckless considering the characteristics of Ursula’s weapon.

—Screech!

Ursula’s blade scraped over Rebecca’s breastplate, leaving a horizontal scratch across Cú Chulainn’s refined cuirass. Before the sacred sword Fragarach, even an Ark was equivalent to nothing more than a thin sheet of paper. Feeling mortified, Rebecca used the power of her Ark to float through the air. As soon as she made it back onto Cú Chulainn’s head, she immediately launched an assault on Galahad with her magic spear.

“Guuuuuuuuuu!”

Just as Galahad let out a displeased roar, Rebecca and Cú Chulainn flew up high into the air. Common sense wouldn’t help in dealing with the sacred sword Fragarach. The ‘Two-Dimensional Blade’ wasn’t a bluff, but a genuine article. Close-quarters combat was too dangerous, so the best option was to deliver a fatal blow from a distance—

“Ha!”

Rebecca unleashed homing-type magic bullets one after another. On the other hand, Ursula mounted Galahad again and dodged the magic bullets that came flying at her in sequence. The next moment, everything in Ursula’s surroundings began to explode. This wasn’t part of Rebecca’s strategy, rather, it was caused by Ursula. The evidence of that was…even despite the whirlwind caused by the explosions, Ursula remained in place, calmly hovering in mid-air. By evading — no, Ursula had cleverly manipulated the magic bullets so that they all collided with each other. In this way, the fate that was destined by the [Wheel of Fortune] had automatically been cancelled. Moreover, it appeared as though Ursula still wasn’t serious yet.

“Time for me to make a move—”

Ursula faintly whispered and then quickly moved right in front of Rebecca.

“Wha…!”

In Rebecca’s eyes, it was an instantaneous movement. She had finally managed to put some distance between them, but it ended up being completely pointless. A ruthless blade attacked Rebecca. There was no time left to dodge. Rebecca reflexively blocked it with her magic spear.

—Clang!

It was almost an absurd sight as the magic spear was instantly divided into two. Even so, Ursula’s hand did not stop, and she continued to attack at a pace that the naked eye could not keep up with. At the same time, the whirlwind generated by the sacred sword culminated in shockwaves that impacted Rebecca’s body.

“Urgh…!”

Rebecca let out a pained moan as the Ark that covered her upper body suddenly shattered into pieces. The shocking thing was that each and every piece was actually a beautiful diamond. A countless number of diamonds glimmered as they flew through the air. Those constantly rotating diamonds were like a cluster of stars. Surrounded by scenery that seemed to be from a fantasy world, Rebecca’s consciousness also faded into darkness.

Part 7

“Rebecca-san!”

Ash was so shocked that he stood up almost subconsciously. Eco, Silvia and the members of the student council around them all stood up in unison. Rebecca’s naked body continued to fall in a straight line—

“Uooohhh!”

Cú Chulainn instantly sprung into action. It raced past Galahad and then sharply descended. Just as Rebecca was about to fall off the stage, Cú Chulainn caught her on its back. Engulfed by Cú Chulainn’s soft fur, Rebecca was saved from defeat. However, Ursula was not so soft-hearted that she would stop attacking because of this. She immediately ordered Galahad to descend and the two dragons began to brawl.

“Guuuuu!”

“Grrrrr!”

Cú Chulainn deployed a Hexagonal Shield to block Galahad’s body charge. Numerous hexagons manifested to form a protective barrier. However, Galahad’s mighty onslaught continued. Just as Cú Chulainn retreated, Galahad unleashed a fiery breath at zero distance!

—Booooooom!

Like the shattering of glass, the Hexagonal Shield collapsed. Immediately afterwards, Galahad slammed into Cú Chulainn with its body again.

“Guuuuhhhhh…!’

Cú Chulainn was brought to its knees on the spot.

“This is checkmate.”

Accompanied by a frighteningly clear voice, Ursula jumped and landed on Cú Chulainn’s back, and then she coldly glanced down at the naked Rebecca. Rebecca didn’t budge an inch. She lay face down, with her bare back exposed in front of Ursula. Just as Ursula had declared, it was already ‘checkmate’. Even the Pal that she relied on, Cú Chulainn, had suffered serious injuries and was immobile under Galahad’s suppression.

“You did your best, Rebecca.”

Remaining expressionless, Ursula lifted the sacred sword high up over her head. As if she had no interest in Rebecca at all, her eyes drifted elsewhere.

“What is Captain Ursula planning to do? Isn’t the outcome already known…”

Just as Silvia murmured in confusion, Ursula said,

“Rebecca Randall. As proof that I have defeated you, I will remove one of Cú Chulainn’s horns. In future, whenever you see your Pal’s asymmetrical horns, you will remember this defeat. If you don’t want this to happen, then stand up.”

Ursula actually pointed her sacred sword at Cú Chulainn’s left horn.

“Ah, that woman, how could she…!”

With teary eyes, Eco covered her own horns with both hands. To a dragon, it was surely a particularly horrifying sight. Ash clenched his teeth. If this continued, Rebecca would truly lose. Cú Chulainn’s horn would be taken away, and that would be a humiliation for the rest of their lives. Ash absolutely couldn’t allow such a thing to happen. However, this was an official match, an in front of the royal family no less. If Ash tried to help, he would completely violate the rules. So, I have to at least convey my thoughts to her — Ash thought.

“Please, Rebecca-san!”

Ash loudly shouted with such volume that it even startled himself.

“The Rebecca-san that I know isn’t someone who would be defeated so easily!”

Eco, Silvia, Lucca, Jessica, Mirabel and the others also looked to Ash in surprise, but Ash didn’t pay any heed to them at all. Ash was well aware that yelling like this was completely inconsistent with his usual image, but even so, he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t stand that this would be how Rebecca would separate from him. With all the strength that he could muster, he entrusted his emotions to his voice.

“I want you to stay by my side forever, Rebecca-san!”

Part 8

The duration of time that Rebecca was unconscious for was actually only a few seconds. However, her body couldn’t move as she wanted it to. Her hands and feet were numb, and her whole body felt as heavy as a sandbag. The reason why her back felt so cold was because her Ark had been destroyed. With her back laid bare, she wondered how unsightly she probably looked at this moment. The other students who saw her like this were probably frustrated and disappointed.

—Is this as far as I go? Or is Captain Ursula just way stronger than the average person…?

Regardless of the reason, Rebecca had been utterly defeated. Just like twisting a child’s hand, Ursula had defeated Rebecca with ease. Rebecca was quite shocked that her strongest move, [Wheel of Fortune], had been disintegrated in such a way. Even though she had regained consciousness, she was basically an empty shell. At this moment, the audience’s mood was at its boiling point. The cheers which came from all directions simply swept over Rebecca’s back. Amidst those cheers, a single voice clearly reached Rebecca’s ears.

“The Rebecca-san that I know isn’t someone who would be defeated so easily!”

—Is…that Ash!?

Rebecca’s fingers twitched slightly.

“I want you to stay by my side forever, Rebecca-san!”

Without a doubt, it was Ash’s voice. Ash had belted that out without a shred of embarrassment.

—As I thought, I still…like Ash.

In that instant, something seemed to rush towards Rebecca’s chest. Her entire body felt hot like it was on fire.

—That’s right, I can’t just go down like this…!

This time, Rebecca’s body could finally move freely. Just before the cold blade was about to hit Cú Chulainn’s horn — Rebecca slid herself in front of Ursula and released the remaining magical energy in the gauntlets that she had managed to keep intact. At the same time, she used both hands to halt the sacred sword’s blow.

“Guh…!”

Heat emanated from the sacred sword, and Rebecca’s body also generated heat. Every millimetre that the sacred sword advanced, intense frictional heat was generated. At last, a creaking sound was made, and a terrifying heat reached Rebecca’s hands. Her gauntlets were about to melt at any moment…and the situation was ever so worrying. Even so, Rebecca endured. For a short while, the arena became silent.

“—”

Although only for a moment, it was the first time that Ursula’s eyebrows jerked in reaction.

Part 9

“Rebecca-san…!”

A surge of enthusiasm burned in Ash’s chest as he watched Rebecca’s heroic gesture of blocking Ursula’s attack at the very last moment. The sacred sword Fragarach — its blade was supposedly two-dimensional. No matter how thinly a sword was made, it was still a three-dimensional object that would never be free from the shackles of three dimensions. Yet, it seemed that the Maestro Galahad had made the impossible possible. By constructing a two-dimensional blade, it had created a weapon capable of cutting through everything. Looking from the side of the sword, only a straight line that was thinner than a thread could be seen. Thinking rationally, using both hands to block such a blade could be described as an act of bravery. With any momentary misjudgement, the sacred sword could easily slip past Rebecca’s hands. If one wasn’t careful, fingers could easily be cut off. Even so, Rebecca’s had rushed over there without hesitation. Moreover, she clamped the two-dimensional blade between her hands in front of everyone’s eyes. Rebecca had also turned the impossible into possible.

Part 10

“…Most impressive, Rebecca. You’re the first person to block my sacred sword with your bare hands.”

Although her eyebrows slightly twitched, Ursula still spoke as calmly as a narrator,

“I understand why Her Highness Veronica was reluctant to let you go. But if you continue like this, your hands will be scorched and cut into pieces.”

Rebecca had no reply. No, she didn’t have the time to answer. She had exhausted all of her energy just to maintain this stalemate. Just as Ursula said, her hands which blocked the sacred sword had already been severely burned and she had reached the limits of her pain endurance. There was barely any sensation left in her hands. Still, Rebecca smiled.

“I’ve won, Captain Ursula.”

—Zoon…!

In the distant horizon, a star unleashed a dazzling flash of light. It was Rebecca’s final trump card. Rebecca’s [Wheel of Fortune] hadn’t actually been completely broken. The star of hope that was waiting up high in the sky had responded to Rebecca’s strong emotions at this moment. With Ursula as its target, it flew straight towards her.

“…So, this is your move.”

Ursula’s expression remained calm, but there was very little that she could do. The sacred sword Fragarach was sealed in place by all the strength that Rebecca had left. Naturally, she could evade this attack by letting go of the sacred sword, but Rebecca had speculated that Ursula wouldn’t choose such an option. To maintain pride as an Ark Dragonar, it was impossible to abandon the Ark Weapon that their Pal had dedicated to them. Even more so for Ursula as the captain of the Order of Holy Dragonars. At last, Ursula used the gauntlet on her left arm to protect her head against the magic blast. Intense flashes of light simultaneously exploded with a loud bang. With the resulting shockwave, Rebecca herself was almost thrown off, but she managed to cling onto Cú Chulainn’s back. She continued to stare at Ursula as she stood in place.

“………”

At first glance, Ursula seemed to maintain her composure. Not a scratch could be seen on her Ark. However, that magic bullet from earlier should have landed a direct hit on Ursula’s forearm…

“Kuh. I used all of my strength, but it missed?”

Rebecca bitterly said, just as a change occurred.

—Crack.

Although it only seemed like a crack at first, Ursula’s gauntlet actually shattered, exposing her pure white skin. Her arm was so beautiful that it seemed difficult to believe that it belonged to a knight.

“The victor is — Rebecca Randall!”

The instant that the referee announced that sentence with a serious tone — a thunderous round of cheers and applause erupted in the venue.

Part 11

“—I was thinking…but I didn’t think it was true, Captain Ursula.”

Enveloped in a bath of confetti that danced all over her body, Rebecca walked towards Ursula.

“In order to have everything come to an end, you decided that this would be the result from the beginning, didn’t you?”

Ursula silently withdrew the sacred sword Fragarach, and then quickly turned around. Her eyes seemed to rest on Galahad as if she wanted to swiftly jump back onto it.

“Please wait a minute, Captain Ursula! With my current strength, I’ve exhausted everything I have just to scratch your Ark…you saw this coming from the start, didn’t you? That’s why you proposed a handicap — isn’t that right?”

Ursula didn’t respond and simply kept her back to her. Rebecca continued,

“In the first place, someone praised as a saint like you couldn’t possibly take aim at Cú Chulainn’s horn. In doing so, was your intent to inspire me…?”

Ursula finally looked back over her shoulder and smiled.

“Regardless of the reason, a loss is a loss.”

“Captain Ursula…”

“And, one more thing. Compared to my encouragement, Ash Blake’s voice was much more effective, right?”

“—!”

Rebecca’s heart suddenly throbbed. She was startled by how hot her face felt. She was regarded as the <Scarlett Empress>, and although she warned herself that she couldn’t allow her face to be flushed like a young girl — at this moment, it felt like her entire body was on fire.

“Continue to work hard in your training, Rebecca Randall.”

Leaving these words behind, Ursula leapt onto Galahad’s head. In this manner, Rebecca Randall officially determined that she would continue to remain in Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights after graduation.

“Rebecca VS. Ursula ~A.S.B．1366.03~” is closed.

Chapter 3 – Ash’s Little Sister

Part 1

—The month of Pisces was about to end.

There were no activities for the student council today, so Ash spent a leisurely day in the new Apollo House. In his hand, he held the [Ansarivan Times] that he had borrowed from Max. Rebecca’s interview had been published on the front page. Although Ursula had given her a favourable handicap, she was still considered to be a rising star. The fact that Rebecca had decided not to join the Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars had also become a topic of discussion amongst the people. Because Rebecca chose Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights, interest in Ash and the others increased around the world.

“Hmm hmm~”

The sound of Eco humming a tune reached his ears. She lay on the bed and she earnestly read a book. Recently, in addition to picture books and fairy tales, Eco had also begun to read novels aimed at young girls such as [Tale of the Dragonar in the Sky]. According to Cosette who had lent her various books, Eco’s reading ability already rivalled that of a first-year student in the Junios course. As expected of a dragon.

“…Wah!”

Eco suddenly exclaimed as her shoulders trembled.

“What is it, Eco!? Did you see some kind of terrifying scene?”

Ash asked as he tilted his head.

“N-No, it’s nothing!”

Eco hurriedly slammed the book shut whilst also attempting to avoid Ash’s gaze. She looked rather flustered and her face was quite red. It was also unusual to see her lying on the bed rubbing her thighs together.

—Could it be that she saw some kind of heart-pounding romantic scene…?

Although Ash had his suspicions, he decided not to press the matter further. He casually opened the cover of his silver pocket watch and noticed that it was already past noon.

“It’s almost time for lunch.”

Eco’s expression brightened as soon as Ash changed the subject.

“Of course! After all, dragons need five meals a day!”

This was one thing that hadn’t changed about Eco since her birth. She swiftly jumped up from the bed and landed on the ground with a thud. Her skirt was lifted by the air and almost flipped up entirely.

“…!”

Ash quickly looked away.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing.”

This time, it was Ash’s turn to become flustered. Just as he was about to walk over to the door…

[I have a letter for Ash Blake-san!]

Accompanied by a brisk knock on the door, the postman’s energetic voice arrived from the outside. The sender was Ash’s mother.

“Mother hasn’t sent me any letters for such a long time.”

“Your mother huh…what does it say inside?”

Eco nervously asked. Upon hearing the word ‘mother’, perhaps she thought of the late Mother Dragon.

“Well, I think it’s probably just a simple and routine update.”

Ash said in a low voice so as to put Eco at ease. He then unsealed the envelope.

To my dear Ash,

How are you? Your mother and everyone in the village have been enjoying a leisurely life. Thank you for the monthly living allowance that you send me, it’s a great help to the family. Your mother is truly fortunate to have an incredible son like you.

“What’s the monthly living allowance?”

Eco interrupted, and so Ash replied,

“Thanks to my appointment as a Dragonar, I receive a salary from the Knight Country’s government. I’ve always sent a portion of it to my mother. I hope it makes her life a bit better at least.”

“Oh, that’s amazing.”

Eco looked at Ash in admiration. Ash couldn’t help but feel somewhat embarrassed as it was rare for Eco to give him praise. Incidentally, the Knight Country’s government continued to pay Ash a monthly salary even after he declared the independence of his own country. Likewise, Rebecca, Max and the others who belonged to Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights also continued to receive salaries. From Ash’s point of view, it didn’t feel quite right, but this was a well-intentioned gesture from Paladin Oswald, so Ash decided to accept it with gratitude.

“Alright, I’ll keep going—”

Your mother believes that you’ll definitely be able to join the Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars. You should aim to become a respected Dragonar. Naturally, you can come back to Alba Village whenever you want. I would love to see your Pal soon.

After reading up to there, Ash paused and sighed.

“…You see, mother doesn’t know anything yet, and I haven’t told her everything myself either.”

Ash’s hometown was a poor village near the border, and it was difficult to receive information from the rest of the world there.

“…She might pass out if she learns about you.”

“Really…”

Ash returned his gaze to the letter again.

What comes next is the main subject. To tell the truth, I’ve kept a secret for the past five years in order to surprise you. Linda will soon be enrolling at Dragonar Academy.

“What!?”

Ash was so shocked and surprised that he almost jumped up on the spot.

“Wait, what’s wrong?”

Eco asked in confusion upon seeing the surprised look on Ash’s face. —Ash and Linda were five years apart. As such, Linda was seven years old when Ash first joined Dragonar Academy. Accepting the <Orphan Ceremony> was a national obligation, so Linda must have also gone into Albion Forest. In other words, during Ash’s first year in Ansarivan, Linda also received a larva from the Mother Dragon. However, since he never received any news from his hometown, Ash had always thought that Linda didn’t make the selection. After all, in recent times, only a very small number of children were able to obtain a larva from the Mother Dragon. The probability of not being chosen was overwhelmingly higher.

“Geez, both mother and Linda, I can’t believe they kept it secret for so long. But, that’s also partly my fault since I never went back home to visit my family…huh!?”

The next instant, Ash frowned as he stared closely at the letter.

Linda’s dragon carriage is scheduled to arrive in Ansarivan at one o’clock in the afternoon on the last day of the month of Pisces.

It was the first time that she would’ve left Alba Village. Although she appeared rather strong, she could get quite lonely on the inside.

You must pick her up at the station in St. Durham Square.

By the time that Ash had read that, he had already dropped the letter.

“Hey! Isn’t today the day that Linda arrives in Ansarivan! You’re a bit too leisurely, mother!”

With a distressed look, Ash grabbed the coat that was hanging on the rack. He tried to put it on as fast as he could, but he ended up a bit stuck.

“Wait a second, are you planning to go by yourself!? I’m coming as well!”

Eco also removed her spring coat from the wardrobe and put it on quickly.

“I’m just going to pick up my little sister, so it’s not going to be any fun at all.”

“B-But…this is my first time…meeting your family, so I’m a bit curious. W-Wouldn’t it be weird if I wasn’t curious?”

Eco lowered her head as she fidgeted. Her adorable appearance caused Ash’s heart to skip a beat. At the same time, he also felt happy that Eco wanted to ‘meet his family’.

“I understand. Come with me then, Eco.”

“Okay!”

Eco’s cheeks were dyed with a rose colour as a wide smile spread across her face.

Part 2

The shopping district of Ansarivan was once again lively today. Because it was still the spring break, many tourists were out and about. Various crowds gathered outside shops which sold souvenirs.

“Hey, Ash? What kind of person is your little sister?”

Eco asked just as the entrance to St. Durham Square came into view.

“Well…”

Ash gazed into the distance. To be honest, Ash had almost forgotten about Linda until he received his mother’s letter. In any case, Ash recalled memories from when he still lived in his hometown—

“Hmm, Linda…is wilful and likes to act spoilt. She’ll keep saying ‘I’m going to be onii-chan’s bride!’ all day long so it’s a bit nerve-wracking…”

“Hold on a second!”

“Huh? What’s the matter!?”

Ash couldn’t help but act timid as Eco suddenly stomped on the ground like a dragon.

“Aren’t you and Linda blood-related siblings? What does she mean when it comes to being your bride!?”

Eco raised her eyebrows. All of the bystanders around them were startled by Eco’s fierce attitude and they cast glances at them in surprise. The majority of them probably thought of it as a lovers’ quarrel.

“N-No, don’t take it seriously. Don’t little girls always say that they want to be the bride of their father or brother? It’s nothing unusual, and you might even call it a necessary part of growing up.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Once they grow up a bit, they’ll completely forget about such things. I’m sure Linda’s already forgotten all about that by now too.”

“Phew…that’s a relief. And here I thought the number of rivals had increased again.”

“Huh? Did you say something?”

“I-It’s nothing!”

Eco dismissively replied and then walked forward on her own. Ash chased after Eco, while also reminiscing about his childhood. Thanks to his mother’s letter, the past which he had almost forgotten gradually caused his memories to resurface.

“Now that I recall, it was pretty tough every night. Linda would always capriciously say ‘I want to sleep with onii-chan!’, and then she’d immediately climb into my bed…”

“Climb into your bed!?”

Eco stopped in her tracks once again. Her lips trembled.

“N-No, it happened when we were just kids! Don’t you and I sleep on the same bed as well…?”

“D-Don’t say something so embarrassing!”

Eco’s face suddenly turned red. She covered her cheeks with both hands and jogged forward, almost bumping into other pedestrians several times.

“Hey, wait up!”

Ash hurried after Eco. At last, Ash and Eco arrived in St. Durham Square. The damage that had been inflicted upon it by the Necromancia no longer appeared to exist. The people who came and went through the square had probably forgotten about the incident that happened a year ago. After all, peace was a good thing…

“The dragon carriage hasn’t arrived yet.”

Eco murmured as she looked around the station.

“Yeah…”

Ash flipped his silver pocket watch open and confirmed that it was just after one o’clock in the afternoon, though it was somewhat common for dragon carriages to be late. Perhaps one could even say that it was fortunately late today…

“Let’s wait here for a while, it should be here shortly.”

Ash and Eco stood beside each other in front of the station as they waited for the carriage’s arrival. All of a sudden, Linda’s figure flickered through Ash’s mind. The last time that they saw each other was when Linda was seven years old. Since then, five years had already gone by…so how had Linda grown up? On top of his anticipation, Ash also felt a little uneasy. Ash had hardly thought about his little sister over the past five years. Even when the academy had extended breaks, he found a bunch of reasons to avoid going back home. Knowing Linda’s personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if she was mad at him. His mother’s letter didn’t mention anything in particular either, so that possibly aroused more suspicion. In actuality, what was Linda thinking?

“Uoooooohhh…!”

A large dragon carriage pulled along by two Asias slowly waltzed into the square. The two elderly people who were in charge of the carriage clearly appeared to be the owners of the Asias. The loud roar was meant to attract the attention of nearby pedestrians — that is, in place of a horn. The crest of Dragonar Academy was emblazoned on the side of the majestic passenger compartment.

“Is that the carriage?”

“Yes, it should be.”

It was a large dragon carriage used for the express purpose of escorting the freshmen of Dragonar Academy to Ansarivan. It could be regarded as a special sight within Ansarivan during this season. Ash had also taken such a carriage when he first arrived in Ansarivan. At that moment…

“Guuuuu…!”

Just after they passed through the entrance of the square, one of the Asias began to riot. For whatever reason, the Asia looked extraordinarily excited.

“Whoa!”

In an instant, one of the drivers was mercilessly thrown off.

“Wait, what’s going on!?”

Eco cried.

“It might be some kind of illness.”

Ash calmly observed the restless Asia. It was an old dragon, so it was possible that it was suffering from an illness.

“In any case, we have to figure something out before anyone gets hurt!”

“Wait! Are you planning to approach an irrational Asia just like that!?”

“Don’t worry, Eco. I’m [The Boy Who Can Ride Any Dragon] after all.”

Ash directed a smile at Eco to put her at ease before rushing over towards the dragon carriage. If this continued, the carriage would likely flip. If that happened, the passengers were sure to have serious injuries.

—I just have to ride that Asia and get it to calm down!

Ash was filled with confidence. After all, he had much experience in this area due to riding various dragons over the past year.

“—Please leave it to me!”

A lovely voice pierced through the commotion in the square.

“Wha…!?”

Ash couldn’t help but freeze. A petite figure instantly rushed out from the carriage and then leapt up high — she landed right on the saddle of the restless Asia and swiftly pulled on the reins at the same time. Because of her hood, her face couldn’t clearly be seen. However, based on their voice and figure, it was probably a girl in her early teens. That coincided with the age of a freshman. Despite it being spring, she was wearing a hooded jacket which made her particularly conspicuous. She looked like a traveller from the countryside.

“What is that child doing!?”

Ash couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded. The girl seemed to greatly underestimate the dragon race. If this continued, it wouldn’t be surprising if she was thrown onto the ground by the irrational Asia and then chewed or torn to pieces.

“Grrrrr…”

However — the instant that the mysterious girl mounted the Asia, it suddenly bent its knees, let out a weak cry, and then obediently calmed down…its fierce outburst seemed as though it had never happened in the first place.

—Woooo!

Cheers and applause instantly erupted in St. Durham Square.

Part 3

“Are you alright? What did you…!?”

Just after the incident finally came to an end and all passengers had safely disembarked the carriage, Ash ran up to the mysterious girl. The girl turned to Ash and stared at him with her hood on. All of a sudden, the girl laughed.

“W-What’s so funny?”

The girl finally lowered her hood.

“Nii-san, long time no see.”

“Linda!? It really is you…!?”

Ash froze in place out of surprise. Linda’s mature smile was far removed from the Linda that remained in Ash’s memories. Not only had she grown much taller, her limbs had also become slender. She hardly looked anything like she did when they grew up together in their hometown. If there was just one thing that remained unchanged, it was probably her hairstyle. Just like she used to, she tied her light brown hair on both the left and right side.

“…………”

Ash carefully examined the girl who stood in front of him. In his memories, Linda was shy and something of a cry-baby. She had to rely on Ash at every turn, which constantly troubled him. For Ash, her most memorable expression was when she puffed out her cheeks. However, the little sister who stood in front of him now was mature even in her speech, making her feel like an entirely different person. With her refined facial features, she’ll probably become quite a beauty in a few years’ time…Ash couldn’t help but think.

“Geez, what are you so surprised about? By the way, nii-san!”

“W-What is it?”

“I heard a lot of interesting rumours from everyone while I was riding in the dragon carriage!”

“What kind of rumours?”

“Unless there’s someone with the exact same name and surname as you, it seems like you’ve become quite amazing. Commander of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights — Ash Blake-san?”

Ash was taken aback. Since Linda had come to Ansarivan, he thought that he’d eventually have to explain things to her…but he was surprised that she had already discovered this.

“I’m very worried. Please explain this at once.”

“W-Well, a lot of things happened, so…—wait, let’s not worry about that for now! Why did you ride on that Asia? You might’ve been lucky there, but if you weren’t careful, you could’ve died!”

Ash intended to reprimand her, but unexpectedly…

“Aren’t you mistaken? It knelt down after listening to my orders.”

Linda displayed a relaxed expression.

“What did you say…?”

Ash was momentarily confused. There was immense hidden meaning behind Linda’s words.

“Did you ride that dragon with absolute certainty?”

“Of course. I’m serious.”

“……”

Ash could still remember. It was the first time that he rode a dragon in the Junios course. The dragon that he rode was Lancelot — back then, it was still just a young Strada. At that time, Ash didn’t have his own Pal yet, so he naturally had no experience when it came to riding a dragon. Even so, Ash managed to successfully ride Lancelot. Back then, an unprecedented conviction stood strong in his heart. Could it be that, like Ash, Linda also possessed the same qualities to ride any dragon? All of a sudden, a conversation between him and the Mother Dragon resurfaced in his mind.

—What you mean is…if I didn’t defy you and accepted Lancelot…Eco would’ve become someone else’s Pal?

—That’s right. The person had already been selected. Like you, that person also bears the <Holy Grail>.

Was Lucca the one who was originally meant to receive Eco…Ash had always vaguely thought that. It was because he had seen with his own eyes the talents that Lucca possessed when they trained together in the Ecbald Forest. But, was it really Lucca? Linda was able to tame a violent Asia in the blink of an eye, which was clearly unusual.

“Could it be…”

Could it be that the candidate whom the Mother Dragon originally intended to entrust Eco to was Linda? Beads of cold sweat slid down Ash’s cheeks. No, until I figure out what the <Holy Grail> means, I can’t draw conclusions…Ash reminded himself. Unaware of what was going through Ash’s mind, Linda continued to ask,

“By the way, onii-san? That pretty girl over there…is she your friend?”

Linda cast her gaze behind Ash. Eco stood there politely. This caused Ash to finally return to his senses as he placed his hand on Eco’s shoulder.

“Allow me to introduce you. This is my Pal — her name is Eco.”

“I-It’s nice to meet you.”

Although Eco stuttered out of nervousness, she still gave a proper greeting. She then gently removed the beret on her head.

“Horns…!?”

Linda gasped at the sight of Eco’s round horns. In any case, their first order of business was to explain the situation to Linda…just when Ash thought so—

“You were so incredible just then!”

“We managed to survive thanks to you!”

“How did you get that Asia to obey you!?”

The passengers onboard the dragon carriage — the new students surrounded Linda on all sides. One of the freshmen suddenly focused on Ash.

“Who is this?”

“Umm…he’s my brother.”

In an instant, the atmosphere amongst the crowd seemed to freeze over.

“Huh!? So, you mean that…this person is the Commander of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knigths, Ash Blake-sama!?”

In the blink of an eye, the freshmen’s interest immediately turned to Ash. Almost all of the people who surrounded Ash were girls.

“I’m sorry! We have urgent business to attend to…hey, Eco, Linda, let’s go!”

Ash simultaneously took both Eco’s and Linda’s hands, and began to run without looking back.

Part 4

—In an alley some distance away from St. Durham Square.

“It’s been a long time since I last came to this shop.”

Eco looked up at the signboard of the restaurant named <Dragon Fang Restaurant> as a sense of nostalgia stirred within her. Because they had been going to <La Tene> more often lately, they hadn’t been here in quite a while, but the various meat delicacies offered here were deeply engraved in Eco’s memory.

“The name <Dragon Fang Restaurant> certainly feels like something that belongs in Ansarivan.”

Linda also gazed at the heritage-style building in admiration.

“We won’t draw much attention here, and the food quality is decent too.”

Following Ash’s lead, Eco and Linda walked into the store. The spice-filled air of the restaurant stimulated Eco’s already strong appetite.

“Huh~…”

Linda seemed momentarily surprised by the lively atmosphere of the restaurant, but she immediately recovered and chased after her brother with a serious expression. Eco also endured the sensation of her belly which felt like it would start growling at any moment as she followed behind. Under the waitress’ guidance, Ash’s group sat down at a table for four. As usual, Eco planned to sit next to Ash — but Linda beat her to it. In a surprisingly natural manner, Linda took the seat next to Ash.

“What’s wrong, Eco?”

“N-Nothing…”

I’ll be patient for now…Eco told herself as she sat down in the seat opposite Ash. After all, Linda was one of Ash’s relatives, so she wanted to maintain a good relationship with her if at all possible. It would be wrong to kick up a fuss over a trivial matter like seating. At last, the waitress came over with a smile to take their order.

“—Well, that’s how the situation is.”

After enjoying their meal, Ash explained the main things that had transpired thus far. That went from Eco’s birth, to their struggle against the Dark Dragon King Mordred, Prince Uriel’s conspiracy, the foundation of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights, the death of the Mother Dragon, and the coronation of Queen Oscaia I.

“I never would’ve imagined that so many things happened around you, nii-san…”

With so many unbelievable events described, Linda was left dumbstruck and speechless. She seemed to have completely forgotten about the rack of spare ribs that sat before her.

“………………”

Eco looked at the siblings with a feeling of estrangement. She somehow felt as though Linda had stolen her position. Having said that, it was understandable given that the siblings had reunited after not seeing each other for five years.

“To be honest, all of this is a bit far-fetched…so I’m a bit dubious. But everyone was talking about rumours of you in the dragon carriage…so I guess it’s all true, right?”

“Yeah, it is. It can’t be helped if you don’t believe everything straight away. If I was in your position, I’d probably laugh at it in disbelief.”

“It just seems like you’re already so far away, so I’m worried.”

“What are you saying? No matter what happens, we’ll always be family. You can rely on me just like you did back in Alba Village.”

“Thank you, nii-san.”

A smile finally returned to Linda’s face as she picked up her spoon to take a mouthful of the stewed meat.

“Mmm……it’s delicious!”

Linda exclaimed as her eyes widened in surprise.

“Stew is your favourite dish, right? I thought you’d be happy with this.”

“Nii-san, you remembered…!”

Linda’s eyes grew moist. Eco watched the interaction between the siblings and began to notice that something felt amiss. It was because the smile on Ash’s face was one that Eco had never seen before. Perhaps that was the expression of an ‘older brother’. Regrettably, as Eco had no siblings, she found the sensation to be incomprehensible.

—Like I thought, it’s better if I give them some space…

Just as a glum expression surfaced on Eco’s face, Ash and Linda began to chat. They talked about their hometown of Alba Village. They talked about their mother who had raised both of them singlehandedly. They talked about the various villagers such as the village chief. Despite her displeasure, they were all topics that Eco wasn’t familiar with, so she had no way of joining the conversation. Suddenly, Eco felt a chill run down her spine as her entire body trembled.

—What…?

Eco immediately realised that the cause of it was Linda.

“………………”

While Linda listened to Ash, she constantly stared at Eco. Her intense gaze made Eco feel instinctively afraid.

—What’s her motive…?

Eco was puzzled. In actuality, their eyes only met for a brief moment. As if nothing had happened, Linda casually smiled and replied to her brother. Eco was unable to grasp Linda’s true intent, nor was she in the mood to reach for the dessert in front of her.

“Umm, Eco-san?”

Linda suddenly revealed a mature smile and leaned forward.

“W-What is it?”

“It’s all thanks to you that nii-san is here today. Will you continue to protect nii-san as his Pal from here on?”

Linda extended her hand towards Eco.

“N-Naturally…of course I will.”

Although a little frightened by her aura, Eco still took Linda’s hand.

“…!”

In that instant, Eco shuddered.

“What’s wrong, Eco?”

Ash asked in suspicion.

“I-It’s nothing. Shaking hands is just a bit embarrassing…”

Eco quickly eased the atmosphere and let go of Linda’s hand.

—Just then…I’m sure I felt an incredible amount of hostility. Moreover…she really seemed to emphasise the words ‘as his Pal’ in particular…

Eco had absolutely no idea what was going through Linda’s mind.

—Ash’s little sister, Linda Blake.

On the surface, she seemed rather smart and polite. Although Eco didn’t want to admit it, Linda seemed much more mature than herself, and that was an undeniable fact. However, Eco felt as though something was odd about her. For some reason, Eco vaguely felt that daggers were concealed behind Linda’s smile.

—These so-called siblings, they’re so hard to understand…

Eco heaved a deep sigh in her mind. She could hardly even remember what lunch tasted like.

Part 5

After leaving the restaurant, Ash and Eco arrived at the school affairs office of Dragonar Academy so that they could assist Linda with completing her enrolment procedures. The freshmen who were new to the Academy City formed a long line at the window. It seemed they would have to wait for a while.

“Shall I accompany you in line?”

Ash asked.

“Huh…that’s a surprise.”

It was a response outside of his expectations.

“Nii-san? I’m not a kid anymore, so I can queue up and complete the enrolment procedures on my own.”

It seemed that she didn’t like being treated like a child. Perhaps she’s already grown to that troublesome phase…Ash thought as he made a wry smile.

“Well, Eco and I will wait for you in the lobby then.”

After watching Linda walk to the end of the line, Ash and Eco went into the lobby. They sat down on an empty sofa and waited for Linda to return.

“………………”

All of a sudden, Ash noticed something. Eco had been rather silent up until now.

—Speaking of which…

During lunch, Ash and Linda had talked enthusiastically about the past, so Eco might’ve felt left out. Only now did Ash think about this.

“Sorry Eco. Was that boring for you?”

Ash asked as he scratched his head.

“N-No…it’s nothing like that. She’s a family member that you haven’t seen for a long time, so don’t worry about me, I’m fine. Besides, I’m the one who insisted on coming along…”

Eco fidgeted as she responded in a voice that could barely be heard.

“Oh, so that’s what you were hung up about. That’s not like you, Eco.”

“How rude! Even I’d care about that!”

Eco turned her face away in anger. It appeared that Eco had returned to being her usual energetic self.

“I’m sorry, I’ll definitely make it up to you.”

Ash made a wry smile as he placed his hand on Eco’s head and stroked her fluffy hair.

“Mmm~…”

Eco scrunched up her neck as if it tingled. Her cheeks became a light shade of red, perhaps out of embarrassment. Ash heaved a sigh of relief in knowing that her mood had recovered for now. At that moment…

“Nii-san, it’s no good!”

Linda ran over, breathing heavily. Simplifying her explanation somewhat — the girls’ Maeve dormitory began to undergo renovations a few days ago in order to accommodate the new freshmen. However, due to a miscalculation by the builders, several rooms were still undergoing renovation works.

“Could it be the room that you just so happened to reserve…?”

Linda nodded upon hearing Ash’s question.

“Yes, they said that my room is still being renovated. But it should be done within a few days…so complaining won’t help. My top priority now is to find a place to stay.”

Linda didn’t seem to be particularly panicked as she calmly analysed the situation.

“I see. I wonder what I can do…”

Ash muttered as he folded his arms. In short, there were two options that came to his mind. The first option was the penthouse of the girls’ dormitory, Epona House — Silvia’s royalty-exclusive room. If Silvia learnt that Linda was Ash’s little sister, she would probably oblige without so much as a word. The second option was the magic ship Escavaron. Once Ash and the others returned to the Academy, there was no shortage of vacant rooms on board the ship. Lately, it felt as though it almost belonged to Mirabel. Ash felt that neither option presented any major problems. The former option meant that Cosette would be present, while the latter meant Eunice, so either sounded just fine. I just have to let Linda pick from one of those two options — just as Ash thought that…Linda suddenly made an unexpected request.

“Can I stay in your room temporarily, nii-san?”

“Huh!? My room?”

“What are you so surprised about? We used to sleep together anyway, and it’s only natural that siblings share the same room, right?”

“Uh, that may be the case…but, if a girl wants to live in the boys’ dormitory, you’d have to get permission first.”

“I’ll go and apply then.”

Linda immediately spun around and walked over to the window of the school affairs office.

Part 6

Ash was surprised by the Academy’s straightforward agreement without any questions asked. Perhaps the Academy judged that there were no issues given the clear relationship between them as siblings. A while later, Ash and the others arrived at the new Apollo House. Fortunately, no one was around to see them as they walked through the corridors and up the stairs, so they arrived safely at Ash’s room on the third floor.

“This is my room.”

“So, this is it…it’s more beautiful than I expected.”

Linda whispered in admiration as she put her luggage down by her feet.

“Ah, that’s because it was just built. Would you like some tea?”

She didn’t respond. And that was because Linda turned around and stared at Eco who stood by the door.

“By the way, Eco-san? Don’t you need to return to the Dragon House?”

“Wait…how did things turn out like this!? This is my room too!”

Having acted politely towards Linda up until now, Eco finally reached her limit.

“Huh!? Wait a minute!”

Linda revealed a serious expression as she gazed at Ash with suspicion.

“Umm, nii-san? You wouldn’t happen to be living in this room…together with Eco-san, would you?”

Her expression was gentle, and the corners of her mouth even lifted in a smile as she asked that question. Yet, there was no smile that could be detected in her eyes at all. Her gaze seemed prickly and she directed it piercingly at Ash’s skin. Ash felt a mysterious aura emanating from his little sister. Ever since she was young, she’d always advocated her own opinions and acted wilfully — that behaviour of hers seemed to resurface now.

“Yeah…that’s right. Eco may be a dragon, but as you can see, she’s no different from an ordinary human girl. Moreover, she shouldn’t be living in the Dragon House. That’s why I take care of her in this room.”

“Strictly speaking, I should say that I’m Ash’s master!”

Eco proudly declared as she folded her arms in front of her chest.

“Haha…I haven’t heard that line in a while.”

Ash made a wry smile, and at that moment…

“That won’t do————!”

Having maintained a calm demeanour up until this point, Linda suddenly had an emotional outburst. Linda’s furious attitude made both Ash and Eco back away in unison.

“Nii-san, you’re so shameless! You’re unworthy of being a knight! And what exactly is going on in this room? No matter how you look at it, there’s only one bed. Could it be…that you’re sleeping in the same bed?”

“Uh, yeah…”

Linda blushed as her entire body quivered.

“Wait! Don’t get any weird ideas, alright!? I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“Really?”

Linda narrowed her eyes and took a step towards Ash.

“Can you swear to Saint Rosa Maria that you haven’t laid even a finger on Eco-san?”

“No, if it’s a finger you’re talking about, then…”

Not being very good at lying, Ash couldn’t help but hesitate. Eco also lowered her head shyly as her ears turned red. Linda looked alternately at Ash and Eco, and then clenched her fists in front of her chest.

“I don’t believe it! You’re already a celebrity now, right? You’re the hero who saved the Knight Country and the Kingdom, as well as the Student Council President! Perhaps no one thought it was a problem when you and Eco-san lived together in the past. But from now on, shouldn’t you change your mindset!?”

“U-Uhh, umm…”

“In any case, nii-san, you should lead a student’s regular lifestyle, and Eco-san should act as nii-san’s Pal! It’s fortunate that I’ve come to Ansarivan at this point in time. Starting today, I’ll be monitoring both of you!”

Standing before Linda who pointed her finger at them, both Ash and Eco looked at each other, dumbfounded.

“Linda Blake ~A.S.B.1366.03~” is closed.

Interlude – Linda's <Seikoku>

—Because she’s Ash’s little sister, I originally wanted to maintain a good relationship with her…but it ended in a disaster.

That night. Eco stared at Linda’s sleeping face indifferently as she reflected on that. It was already half past eleven. Normally, Eco would’ve been asleep by now.

“Su, su…”

However, Eco found it difficult to remain calm because she was sleeping in the same bed as Linda. Though perhaps due to her accumulated stress, Linda fell asleep almost immediately. As for Ash, he was sleeping with a blanket on the floor just like he used to. He exhaled with a regular rhythm, unaware of Eco’s thoughts. The usual Eco would immediately express her displeasure if she encountered something she disliked. But when faced with Linda, her hands seemed to be tied. As soon as she considered her to be Ash’s little sister, she couldn’t help but act polite.

“Mmm~…ngh…”

Suddenly — Linda bit Eco!

“Hwa!?”

Eco exclaimed in surprise and almost rolled off the bed.

“What is this, geez…”

After murmuring so, Eco suddenly frowned.

“…?”

Is she dreaming of something sad?

Linda shed tears.

“…I want to be onii-chan’s bride. I have to…uh…”

Those were the words that came from her cherry-coloured lips.

“Bride!?”

Eco was taken aback. She then recalled the story that Ash had recounted to her earlier.

—Don’t little girls always say that they want to be the bride of their father or brother? It’s nothing unusual, and you might even call it a necessary part of growing up.

—Once they grow up a bit, they’ll completely forget about such things. I’m sure Linda’s already forgotten all about that by now too.

Eco’s lips trembled. If what Ash said was correct, Linda should’ve ‘graduated’ from being in love with her brother a long time ago. However, on further thought, upon learning that Ash and Eco were living together, Linda’s reaction seemed a bit…no, it was definitely not normal. As if to fuel Eco’s speculation, Linda continued to talk in her sleep.

“As long as it’s for onii-chan…I’m willing to do anything…”

Her voice was almost like a whine that carried traces of desolation.

“Onii-chan…don’t…don’t leave me…I don’t want to be alone…if I can’t be with you, I won’t be able to live on…”

In that instant, Linda suddenly moved. She buried her face in Eco’s chest. It was as if she treated Eco as Ash. Perhaps feeling gradually relieved, Linda’s sleeping face became peaceful — her sorrowful sleep talk also ceased.

“…Is this Linda’s true nature?”

Eco murmured to herself as she was filled with an inexplicable sense of crisis. Is Linda’s mature attitude all just a façade? What if her sleep talk just now is her true mature? What if Linda is someone to pay more attention to precisely because she’s Ash’s little sister? Just as Eco felt a sense of terror, Linda suddenly rolled over. As she rolled over, her pyjamas lifted, revealing her adorable belly button. Yet, it was most certainly not her belly button that caught Eco’s attention.

“This is…!”

Imprinted on the area between Linda’s upper and lower abdomen was a pattern that Eco had never seen before. It was an extremely large <Seikoku> that didn’t lose to the one on Ash’s left arm in size. It was fundamentally different from an ordinary <Seikoku>. At the very least, it differed from the family crest of Avalon or Nehalennia. What kind of larva did the Mother Dragon entrust to her? Unfortunately, this question — was no longer one that could be asked of Mother.

“What’s going on here…?”

“Secret of Linda ~A.S.B.1366.03~” is closed.

Chapter 4 – Aries' Onboard Party

Part 1

—The third day of the month of Aries.

The school orientation season had begun, and the city streets of Ansarivan were bustling with activity. The lively atmosphere also spread into the Academy.

In the afternoon, Silvia was in a certain room on the first floor of Julius Hall sorting out various documents. Given Silvia’s serious nature, she preferred to prioritise her position as the Vice President of the Student Council rather than enjoy what little remained of her spring break. There were five days left before the opening ceremony, and the number of documents that were sent to the Student Council just kept on increasing—

“Geez, why don’t any of the other officers show their faces?”

Silvia frowned as she glanced around the room. The only person sitting in the room was Silvia. Her surroundings were empty, and somewhat lonely even.

“Well, it is still spring break after all.”

Cosette brought her a cup of black tea. The world’s most high-quality tea leaves — the aroma of El Gloriana from Chiron suddenly wafted into the empty room.

“Thank you, Cosette.”

Silvia put her pen down and savoured the black tea. However, her relaxation only lasted for a moment before displeasure resurged once more.

“Even so, Cosette. It may be spring break, but don’t you think that this situation where nobody turns up when no meetings are held is a bit disappointing?”

“Not to worry, Princess-sama. You’ll surely see each other every day once the new school term begins. You and your beloved Ash-sama can express your mutual love as much as you please.”

“Pfft!”

Silvia was so astonished that all the black tea she savoured was spat out. Various important documents were stained by the black tea, but it was not the time to worry about it. After all, she couldn’t pretend not to hear what Cosette had said.

“W-What do you mean by mutual love!? Are you suggesting that I, Silvia Lautreamont, am concerned with such worldly desires…!?”

Silvia retorted as she wiped the edges of her mouth with a handkerchief. Her heart pounded so wildly in her chest that even she felt surprised by the sensation.

“Oh my, really, Princess-sama. Your face is bright red.”

“It’s all because of you~~~~!”

“By the way—”

As if Silvia’s complaint was nothing more than wind passing by her ears, Cosette clapped her hands together.

“I’ve heard that Ash-sama’s younger sister has enrolled in the Academy.”

“It’s so obvious that you’re trying to change the subject — wait, did you say Ash’s little sister!?”

Silvia reflexively stood up.

“Yes. Knowing how diligent Ash-sama is, I believe the reason for his absence from Student Council activities today is because of his younger sister. After all, Ash-sama probably can’t keep his eyes away from her.”

“I see. If that’s the reason, then I suppose it can’t be helped…though, speaking of which…Ash’s little sister…hmm.”

“Ufufu. Are you curious?”

“U-Umm…more or less.”

“After all, she might become your little sister in the future, Princess-sama.”

“Fuwah!? What are you saying!?”

Silvia’s body grew hot all over.

“Ufufu. You’ve always been the youngest one, Princess-sama, so it’ll be your first time being called ‘onee-sama’.”

“Hmm. Onee-sama huh…i-it doesn’t sound too bad…n-no, it hasn’t been decided that I’ll be addressed that way! Stop teasing people so much!”

“You’re so adorable, Princess-sama.”

Although irritated by Cosette’s provocations, Silvia quietly returned to her seat. It was because there was something that she wanted to discuss with Cosette.

“…By the way, Cosette?”

Silvia glanced up at Cosette.

“What’s the matter, Princess-sama?”

“Today should be the third day of the month of Aries, right…?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Didn’t you help me with an investigation last summer during the break? Regarding my past with Ash…”

Cosette slipped into thought for a while, and then finally smiled as she seemed to remember.

“Ufufu, I do recall such a thing now. I carefully investigated the <Orphan Ceremony> that you attended, Princess-sama.”

“Yes, thanks to you, I discovered that Ash was my benefactor back then. However, I actually learnt something else.”

Upon hearing this, Cosette seemed to have picked up on what Silvia’s intentions were.

“Ufufu, you truly are so innocent, Princess-sama. You remembered the birthday of the person that you hold dear.”

Cosette covered her mouth as she attempted to hold back a giggle. Although it wasn’t particularly amusing to Silvia, she decided to bear with it given the importance of the matter.

“T-Then…may I discuss it with you? I’ve been thinking that I’d like to give Ash a birthday present if possible, but I’m not sure what would make him happy…and I have no idea what the boys in our year would prefer…”

“Very well, let us head to the shopping district first. I, Cosette, shall do my utmost to assist you.”

Treating Cosette like a saviour, Silvia grasped her hands and looked up at her.

“I’ll leave it to you then, Cosette. You’re the only one I can count on right now!”

Part 2

In the evening.

“Phew…”

Silvia staggered as she finally arrived at the boys’ dormitory, Apollo House. It was because she had expended too much mental energy running around the shopping district. Silvia gazed down at the small box with a ribbon tied around it and nervously whispered,

“…Hey, Cosette. Is this really okay?”

Silvia’s final choice was a tie clip. It was made of silver with the carving of a dragon’s head, and Silvia believed that it would suit Ash. She also asked the metal engraver to write Ash’s initials on it.

“Ufufu, it will be okay. It’s not about what you give, rather, what’s important are the feelings that you put into the gift, Princess-sama. Ash-sama will certainly be able to understand your feelings, Princess-sama.”

“I see…”

Cosette’s words offered Silvia a sense of relief and salvation. Silvia walked into the large entranceway of Apollo House, obtained permission from the dorm supervisor to enter, and then made her way to Ash’s room. The male students who passed by Silvia in the corridor all displayed expressions of surprise as they retreated against the wall. At the same time, they also bowed to her with reverence.

“There was a gap like that between me and Ash a year ago…”

Silvia sorrowfully whispered to herself, just as she arrived at the entrance to Ash’s room. With her hands shaking due to nervousness, she knocked on the door.

[Yes, coming—]

A lovely voice that didn’t belong to Ash answered the door.

“Huh!?”

Silvia frowned. It wasn’t Eco’s voice, and it meant that there was a girl other than Eco currently in Ash’s room. Just as Silvia sank into thought, the door opened,

“Sorry for the wait. Uh…?”

Silvia gasped. A girl with twin tails examined Silvia with suspicion. A delicate and adorable young girl — that was her first impression. She was around twelve years old, which meant she was probably a student in the Junios course. She was wearing an apron and had a soup ladle in her hand. It appeared she was in the midst of cooking. At that moment, what came to Silvia’s mind were the words ‘child wife’.

—W-What is this…!?

Silvia’s thoughts were thrown into disarray because there was a girl younger than Ash cooking in his room. Moreover, the aroma of spices wafted out of the room.

—Doon.

Silvia was left dumbfounded, and the giftbox in her hand fell to the ground. She had worked so hard to choose a birthday present for Ash today, but he had unexpectedly brought a girl much younger than him to his room and asked her to cook…! Silvia shed tears of regret as she ran off.

“Ash…you idioooooooooottttt!”

Part 3

“The hot water was amazing.”

Ash returned to his room with billows of white steam rising from his entire body. The large bathhouse in the new Apollo House had the latest equipment. Because it was so comfortable, he accidentally spent a long time in there. Ash opened the door to his room without much thought—

—Pop!

A harsh sound suddenly rang out, causing Ash to let out a ‘whoa’ in fright.

“Nii-san, happy birthday!”

With a party popper in her hand, Linda had a mischievous smile on her face.

“Birthday?”

Although initially surprised, he eventually understood. Indeed, it was only then that Ash realised it was his birthday.

“Come, come in quickly.”

Linda led Ash by hand into the room.

“This is…!”

While Ash was bathing, all of the furnishings in the room had been reorganised. There were flower decorations everywhere, and even a banner that read ‘Happy Seventeenth Birthday!’ was hung up. It was a small dinner party venue. Set up on the table was a cake and various dishes. It turned out that while Ash was away, Linda decided to show off her cooking skills to make a grand meal.

“Hey, hey…”

An adorable voice came from beside the wall. It seemed Eco didn’t realise Ash had returned and was still working hard to decorate the room. She stretched her arms up high as she tried to stick a floral decoration on the wall. Ash smiled and placed his hand on Eco’s head.

“Hwa!?”

Eco was taken aback and dropped the floral decoration on the floor.

“Geez, don’t scare me!”

“Haha, I’m sorry.”

Ash picked up the floral decoration and stuck it up where Eco had originally wanted to put it.

“I didn’t expect you two to join forces…that really surprised me.”

“I-I was forced to, okay!?”

Eco puffed out her cheeks, folded her arms across her chest and turned her head away.

“Dragon’s don’t have a habit of celebrating their birthdays. More importantly, I don’t even know when my birthday is. But, because Linda wanted to celebrate your birthday no matter what, I…hmph, to start with, let me just say happy birthday.”

“Just as usual, you’re not honest at all.”

Ash made a wry smile while Eco raised her eyebrows in anger. He thought that she’d begin to yell at him, but reality was contrary to his expectations.

“…This is a gift from me.”

Eco removed a pink crystal from her pocket and handed it to Ash.

“Isn’t this a Bright Dragon Crystal!? Moreover, it’s pink, so this is…Uranus!? Did you make this just for me?”

Ash carefully examined the crystal that was the size of a small stone. It was extremely clear and transparent, something that one would not tire of admiring. Like a gemstone cut by a master craftsman, it exuded a colourful light. It felt constantly warm, as though Eco’s body temperature radiated from it.

“Y-Yeah! You’d better cherish it!”

“Of course. Thank you, Eco. It must have been difficult to make such a beautiful crystal, right?”

“I secretly visited Lucca the other day…and asked her for help.”

Eco’s cheeks turned red, and it looked like steam was about to erupt from her head at any moment.

“Wait. You asked Lucca for help, which means…!”

Ash’s cheeks grew hot. It was because he recalled the first time that Eco produced Uranus with Lucca’s assistance.

“W-What are you imagining!? Watch out or I’ll crush you!”

Eco lifted one foot, and Ash immediately retreated.

“Umm, nii-san?”

Linda inserted herself between the two of them with ingenious timing.

“My present is this birthday cake. If possible, I would’ve liked to give you something that can be kept forever just like Eco-san’s…but I just moved to Ansarivan and don’t have much money…”

“N-No, I’m very happy. Thank you, Linda.”

Ash stroked Linda’s head. Standing in place allowing Ash to touch her head, Linda looked much the same as she did when she was seven years old.

“—Oh my. You seem to be having a good time.”

A charming voice resounded, and a corner of the room was shrouded in a dazzling light as Navi descended. She touched the ground gently, leisurely sat down on the bed’s edge, and then slowly crossed her legs. Perhaps because of tonight’s birthday party, she wore an elegant dress.

“Kya! W-Who are you? Where did you come out from…!?”

Linda clung to Ash’s arm in shock.

“It’s okay, Linda. I should’ve introduced her. Navi is actually one of our companions as well.”

“A companion?”

Linda looked a little relieved, but still hid herself behind Ash.

“Hey, Ash?”

Navi revealed a coquettish smile and extended her hand toward Ash.

“This is my gift. Will you accept it?”

“O-Of course.”

A thick, sweet aroma entered his nostrils, and Ash couldn’t help but feel his heart go aflutter.

“Then, please accept it…”

Navi wrapped her hand around Ash’s neck and instantly pulled him over.

“Uwah!?”

Ash’s vision was occupied by the sight of her large breasts. The next moment, his face was pressed between the deep valleys of her cleavage. The sensation was such that he almost felt like he had kissed them. Surrounded by a soft sensation along with a warm and sweet aroma, Ash felt like he was in heaven. However, he gradually felt short of breath. Those breasts which were the pinnacle of softness completely sealed Ash’s mouth and nostrils.

“Pwah!”

Just a second before he was about to suffocate, Ash managed to escape from Navi’s bosom, sending oxygen into his lungs with all his strength.

“Phew…I thought I was going to die. Was that your present, Navi!?”

“Oh my, is that enough for you already? As long as you want, I can give all of me to you.”

“…!”

Ash couldn’t help but quiver upon hearing such an alluring temptation. Navi looked more gorgeous than she normally did tonight.

“Hey, Ash? If you keep that look on your face…I’ll crush you, okay?”

“Nii-san? What exactly is your relationship with this woman? I request that you explain it right now.”

Ash only returned to his senses upon feeling the sharp gazes that Eco and Linda directed at him.

“A-Anyway, it might sound a bit strange since it’s my birthday we’re celebrating, but shall we get started? It’ll be a shame if all of the dishes that you cooked get cold.”

Ash took the initiative to sit down at the table.

“Hmph, I guess it can’t be helped…”

“It’s not what I wanted, but it’s certainly reasonable…”

Despite their reluctance, both Eco and Linda obliged with Ash’s request.

“Since it’s a rare opportunity, I’ll also join you.”

Navi really seemed to like the bed, so she settled herself there. And so, the small dinner party consisting of just four people began—

“…By the way, I wasn’t expecting it to be Ash’s birthday today. If Linda hadn’t told me, it might’ve passed by. Navi didn’t tell me either.”

While chewing on a mouthful of roast chicken with herbs, Eco directed a glare towards Navi.

“Oh, I’m only the Dragweiss at best — I won’t disclose information unless you or Ash ask me for it.”

“If that’s the case, can you keep your uselessly large breasts away from public view?”

Eco said as she stared at Navi’s chest. Her seemingly soft cleavage could be seen from the neckline of her dress.

“Fufu, that’s a separate matter.”

Navi leisurely sat on the bed, with a mischievous smile floating on her face. Linda thoughtfully carried a plate with a slice of cake over to Navi.

“Umm…Navi-san, please feel free to have some as well.”

“Hehe, I’m not just being polite. It’s because I don’t need to eat — but since you’ve offered, I shall indulge.”

Navi sat up as she took the plate and fork. Under Linda’s watchful gaze, Navi took her first bite.

“Oh my.”

In that instant, it was a rare occasion on which Navi widened her eyes.

“The information transmitted through my sense of taste is rather pleasant. Is this the so-called meaning of ‘delicious’?”

Navi looked genuinely amazed. Seeing Navi like that, Ash couldn’t help but jump in.

“That’s great, it looks like Navi also likes Linda’s cake.”

“Is that so? That’s good then…”

Linda nodded somewhat unnaturally. Perhaps it was because she still didn’t fully understand the existence known as Navi. Ash hoped to himself that they would gradually become familiar with each other.

“…Hey, why did you hide that it was your birthday?”

Eco cast a dissatisfied gaze at Ash, to which he simply smiled.

“N-No, it’s not like I deliberately tried to conceal it, you see? It’s because I don’t usually pay attention to birthdays, and it was never really a topic of conversation.”

In fact, if Linda hadn’t organised this dinner party, Ash might’ve even forgotten about his birthday.

“Hmm—?”

Yet, Eco gazed at him with suspicion. She then said something that completely defied Ash’s expectations.

“Silvia seems to be very clear on it though.”

“Kuh!”

Ash violently coughed as he accidentally choked on some mashed potato.

“Are you okay, nii-san!?”

Linda hurriedly slapped him on the back, and Ash finally regained his breath.

“Umm, nii-san? Please wait a moment.”

Linda left the table and walked over to a cabinet by the door. When she returned to the dining table, she brought with her a small box that was tied with a ribbon.

“This is…the gift that Princess Silvia personally came to deliver while you were in the bath.”

“Huh!? Princess-sama was here?”

“Yes, I answered the door…and perhaps the situation was a bit uncomfortable. As soon as she saw me in an apron, she yelled [Ash…you idioooooooooottttt!] and then ran off. She seemed to have misunderstood something…”

What went through Silvia’s head was already self-explanatory.

“The next time I see Princess-sama, I’ll introduce you to her…but, did you recognise that it was the princess straight away, Linda?”

“No. After the princess ran away, a maid calling herself Cosette showed up…it’s thanks to her that I found out.”

“I see, and so you introduced yourself to Cosette-san?”

“Of course.”

Upon hearing Linda’s response, Ash felt a sense of relief. Silvia should’ve heard Cosette’s explanation by now, thus resolving the misunderstanding.

“By the way, nii-san?”

Ash’s relief was only momentary as Linda leaned over and narrowed her eyes at him.

“Even if Her Highness Silvia mistakenly believed that I was your lover — was it necessary for her to run back whilst crying?”

“Uh, umm!”

Ash tried to keep a straight face. It was only natural that Linda found it strange. If Silvia was just an ordinary friend, there would be nothing to be surprised about even if there were girls other than Eco in his room.

“…You wouldn’t happen to have a strange relationship with a Princess of the Lautreamont Knight Country, would you?”

“N-No, that’s not possible!”

Ash quickly denied it, but—

“How is that not possible? You two clearly kissed right in front of me.”

Eco interjected as if she could no longer bear to remain silent.

“H-Hey! What are you saying in front of my little sister…!?”

Ash immediately tried to cover Eco’s mouth, but it was already too late.

“Oh…I have many questions.”

Linda whispered softly, as if trying to calm herself down.

“Anyway, before we get too deep into this party…shouldn’t we listen so that you can personally explain how far you and Her Highness Silvia have progressed in your relationship? Do you not agree, Eco-san?”

“Yes, I’d like to hear all about it as well.”

“H-Hey! Since when have you two been on the same side!? Navi, can you help me say something here?”

Backed into a corner, Ash had no choice but to turn to Navi for assistance.

“Ufufu. I’d also be happy to explain all of Ash’s interpersonal relationships, you know?”

It seemed that he had asked the wrong person. Navi normally concealed herself in the Dragon Workshop, but she was able to peer into the human world whenever she pleased.

“H-Hey, don’t I have any privacy…!?”

Ash clutched his head in distress, but Linda nonchalantly handed Navi a pen and a sheet of paper. It seemed that she wanted Navi to draw a relationship diagram.

“Please, can’t we do something more ordinary for fun? Please?”

Ash’s plea went completely unheard, and a long interrogation thus began—.

Part 4

—The fifth day of the month of Aries.

Because he had been taking care of Linda, Ash had neglected the activities of the Student Council for some time, so he decided to visit Julius Hall after lunch. Ash walked through the campus grounds which still had traces of winter but were gradually moving into spring. Under the gentle sunlight, his brand-new tie clip shone brilliantly. The new school term had already started. Students came and went across the campus grounds. The petite students who wore somewhat loose-fitting uniforms were certainly freshmen. It was obvious at a glance. I was the same back when I first enrolled…Ash found himself caught in a wave of emotion. As soon as many students caught sight of Ash’s figure—

“Good afternoon, new Student Council President!”

“Thank you for your hard work! I’d also like to join Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights one day!”

“Kyaaaaa! Ash-samaaaaa!”

—Various responses were provoked. Although the third person had a shrill voice much like Jessica’s, it was a female student that he didn’t know.

“Haha…”

Responding with an unaccustomed smile, Ash continued walking forward. He didn’t have a Pal for several years, he was known as ‘The Academy’s Number One Problem Child’, and yet now there were students everywhere who showed respect to him. In all honesty, it made Ash feel a bit uncomfortable. Once the crowd thinned out, Ash naturally said to himself,

“I wonder if things went alright for Linda…?”

Linda had finally moved into the girls’ dormitory, Maeve House, yesterday. It was because she received a notice from the Academic Affairs Office that ‘the delayed internal renovation project has been completed’. Although Linda was quite concerned about Ash’s relationship status — or more precisely, his female relationships, she probably thought about continuing to live in her brother’s room, but such wilful behaviour would not be allowed.

—Try to have more moderation in your life, nii-san!

Leaving such words behind, Linda departed from Apollo House. It’d be nice if she became less dependent on me throughout her upcoming campus life…Ash sincerely prayed.

Part 5

Already present in Julius Hall was Silvia, who was hard at work sorting out various documents, while Cosette diligently assisted her from the side.

“Hey, Princess-sama.”

Silvia’s shoulders trembled the instant that Ash greeted her.

“O-Oh, so it’s you, Ash! I-It feels like I haven’t seen you in a while. Geez, as the new Student Council President, you’re a bit too relaxed, don’t you think?”

Silvia’s attitude was the complete opposite of what she verbally expressed, as she looked unbearably nervous. It seemed that she couldn’t even look at Ash directly. Ash easily realised why that was.

“Princess-sama, look.”

Ash walked over to Silvia and showed off his tie. His silver tie clip exuded a dazzling glow. Ash also liked the design of the dragon’s head.

“T-That’s…!”

Silvia stared at the tie clip, stiff as a stone.

“Thank you, Princess-sama. Also, I’m really sorry for apologising so late…I think you should’ve heard by now that I was busy because of my little sister…”

“U-Umm…do you like it?”

Perhaps because she was still too embarrassed, Silvia seemed to avoid making eye contact with Ash. Her gaze remained planted to the floor.

“Of course! It’s a very cool design, and I’m very happy that you selected it just for me. I’ve most certainly received your feelings, Princess-sama!”

“T-That’s great…”

Silvia breathed a sigh of relief as she lay down on the table. It was probably because all of her tension had suddenly been released. Ash couldn’t help but smile as it was the first time that he had seen Silvia in such a weakened state.

“…By the way Ash, isn’t Eco with you?”

Silvia lifted her head and looked around in suspicion. Indeed, it was a rare situation because Ash didn’t bring Eco with him.

“Oh, Eco has been on the Escavaron since yesterday.”

“On the Escavaron? What’s happening there?”

Silvia frowned.

“I heard that Jessica planned a ‘sleepover party’ only for the girls…she came to pick Eco up last night.”

“What did you say!? I never heard about that…”

Silvia dejectedly dropped her shoulders. Seeing the tears that were welling up in her eyes, it seemed she was upset about being excluded.

“W-Whoa, Princess-sama!?”

Ash hurriedly searched for the words to comfort her.

“Your identity is somewhat special after all, so I’m sure Jessica couldn’t help but worry about it, you know? I don’t think anyone would dare to invite the princess of a country to join their ‘sleepover party’…”

“Mmm, I didn’t think that girl would have such worries. Ah…a ‘sleepover party’ huh…! It sounds like such a touching phrase to me given that I had no friends a year ago! If possible, I really hope that they’d let me join them without having any worries…”

Not expecting that Silvia would feel so regretful, Ash couldn’t help but smile.

“I’ll go and tell them ‘Please remember to invite Princess-sama next time’ then.”

“No, that would be too embarrassing…it’d be as if I really wanted to participate.”

“Is that not the case?”

“No, you’re right…”

“Haha. You really aren’t honest.”

Silvia’s expression immediately improved the moment that Ash laughed. She then sternly raised her eyebrows.

“That’s enough chit-chat! Hurry up and get started with your work!”

“G-Got it!”

With Silvia’s urging, Ash quickly got to work. Just as Silvia reviewed the information at hand, her gaze rested on one of the documents. She stared closely at one of the documents as she made a deep hum.

“What’s wrong, Princess-sama?”

“No, this report…it looks a bit odd.”

After receiving the file from Silvia, Ash also began to read through it.

“What…‘a mysterious giant dragon appeared in the forest at night’!? What is this?”

“It’s said that a dragon flies over Fianna Forest every night. According to witness testimonies, local newspapers have reported on it. It’s said that that dragon is even larger than Cú Chulainn and Tristan.”

“If that’s true, then it would be the biggest Maestro in existence.”

“It doesn’t seem to be a Maestro though. It’s said that even under bright moonlight, that dragon’s body is black. If it’s a Maestro, it should have silvery-white fur that glimmers under light.”

“Indeed.”

“More importantly, it’s hard to believe that such a dragon has appeared in the skies above Fianna Forest.”

“If it’s a dragon from Ansarivan, it should be looked after in the Dragon Houses.”

Ash folded his arms and sank into thought. It was possible that the witnesses had mistaken some other unidentified flying object for a dragon. If that was the case, then it all made sense. But, what kind of flying object would be mistaken for a dragon? It was a curious matter.

“Well, sitting here and thinking about it isn’t going to get us anywhere. Let’s hold onto this case until a new eyewitness report appears. After all, we still have a mountain of documents to go over.”

Just as Silvia said, there was a pile of documents stacked as tall as a mountain in front of them. Ash painfully felt how difficult the job of Student Council President was.

Part 6

“—It’s going to be sunset soon.”

Cosette stood by the window and whispered with a calm voice.

“…Phew. Let’s stop here for today. In any case, is this new organisation of the Student Council okay? No one comes if there aren’t any meetings. It’s a bit lonely.”

Silvia complained, to which Ash scratched his head.

“Uh, that might be…because I’m not as popular as Rebecca-san?”

“That’s not the issue! You put her up on too much of a pedestal. However, it’s true that you’re not as awe-inspiring as her.”

“I see, awe-inspiring huh…certainly, that isn’t quite like me.”

Ash made a wry smile as he looked up at the ceiling.

“Having said that, you also have your own strengths.”

“Huh?”

“I-I see…every side of you.”

After saying that much, Silvia blushed and turned her back to him.

“Ufufu. That’s good to hear, Princess-sama.”

Cosette joked with a giggle.

“Ugh, why do you always have to say unnecessary things!?”

Just as Silvia was embarrassed to the point that she wanted to leave—

“Oooooohhhhh!”

A Maestro landed on the school grounds in front of Julius Hall.

“Hey, isn’t that Lancelot!?”

Silvia exclaimed in surprise. Its silvery-white fur shimmered under the sunset outside, and it was most certainly Lancelot. It had grown remarkably recently, and its physique had also grown larger. If it continued to grow, it would eventually become comparable in size to Cú Chulainn and Tristan. However, it was something of a mystery that it had come here since its master didn’t call for it. Last year was truly a disaster. There were incidents with Mordred, Cassandra and the pharmacist Kiira who had likely escaped — a bundle of loose ends had piled up. In contrast to the thoughts that weighed on Ash’s mind, Silvia and Lancelot’s exchange was rather leisurely.

“What’s wrong, Lancelot?”

Silvia leaned out the window and stroked Lancelot’s fur.

“Guu…”

Lancelot seemed to comfortably enjoy Silvia’s caresses.

—Am I just overthinking things?

Ash heaved a sigh of relief as he stroked his chest. Seeing Lancelot’s calm demeanour, it probably wasn’t an emergency.

“Hm? You want me to ride on you?”

Silvia tilted her head in bewilderment.

“Uoooh!”

Lancelot roared majestically, expressing its affirmation. Moreover, it also cast an evocative gaze at Ash.

“Huh? Are you suggesting that we both ride on you?”

Once more, Lancelot roared in affirmation.

“What’s going on here…?”

Despite the doubts that she had, Silvia decided to step out the window frame and jump down. After momentarily floating through the air, she landed on Lancelot’s back. Dressed in her normal uniform, she mounted the saddle. Even the slightest of evening breezes would cause her skirt to lift. Such immoral thoughts caused Ash’s heartrate to accelerate.

“Princess-sama, this is somewhat improper.”

Cosette expressed her opinion as Silvia’s personal maid, to which Silvia unhappily turned away.

“It can’t be helped! It doesn’t feel like an emergency, but Lancelot came all this way just to pick me up, so it must mean that something has happened or is about to happen.”

“Yes, what Princess-sama said is right.”

Ash also stepped out the window, jumping and then landing softly on Lancelot’s back.

“I shall accompany you.”

Cosette also jumped out and landed behind Ash.

“Isn’t this what you’d call improper?”

Silvia commented as if in retribution for Cosette’s earlier remark.

“I’m a maid, so it doesn’t matter.”

Cosette dismissively said without a trace of guilt. Ash couldn’t help but smile as he witnessed this interaction between master and servant, but it was only for a moment—

“Excuse me, Ash-sama.”

Cosette suddenly hugged onto Ash’s waist. It was necessary when flying on Lancelot, so there was nothing wrong with it, but…

—This is bad. Cosette-san’s chest is touching me…

Ash felt nervous and restless. Cosette was usually quite modest, but her breasts were just the opposite — soft and full of weight, they strongly expressed themselves.

“Oh my, Ash-sama? Why are you leaning forward? What’s wrong?”

Cosette asked in puzzlement.

“I-It’s nothing!”

Ash was already exhausted just answering like that. Silvia then said to him,

“Hey, what are you dawdling for? Hurry up and hold onto me.”

When Silvia turned around, her expression was rather serious and didn’t show any traces of shyness. As soon as she mounted a dragon’s back, she seemed to switch into a resolute princess knight.

“G-Got it!”

Ash hurriedly grabbed onto Silvia’s waist from behind. In contrast to her ample bosom, her waist was so slender that it seemed fragile. Moreover, her lustrous blonde hair exuded the sweet scent of shampoo. Unaware of the thoughts that traversed through Ash’s mind, Silvia awe-inspiringly declared,

“You can set off at any time, Lancelot!”

Part 7

Lancelot flew in a straight line as if piercing through the evening sky.

“Wait, Lancelot!? How high are you planning to go?”

Even Silvia began to feel uneasy, but Lancelot steadily continued to climb. What is Lancelot thinking? Where is it taking us? Ash had no clue either. Like a fish in water, Lancelot comfortably and powerfully flapped its wings. That was the only emotion of Lancelot that was clearly conveyed to Ash.

—Boom!

Lancelot suddenly accelerated into charged into the clouds. As if smashing through a rock, Lancelot penetrated the thick clouds. Finally, their field of vision grew vast and unobstructed all at once. The sky hadn’t fully transformed into night and still appeared blue. A crescent moon as slender as a thread hung in a corner of the sky. Tiny stars also shone faintly. Their view was surrounded by a majestic sea of clouds. And what appeared in front of them was the shadow of a large ship.

“Isn’t that the Escavaron?”

Ash couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Ooooohhh…!”

Lancelot belted out a roar as if to announce its arrival. It then softly landed on the deck of the magical ship Escavaron.

“What on earth is…!?”

Silvia simply froze in place, forgetting even to jump off Lancelot’s back.

“What’s going on?”

Ash looked around the deck, stunned and in disbelief. It was because the Escavaron’s deck had been transformed into grand party venue. Upon a neatly arranged round table was a colourful array of dishes. Dragon crystal lanterns were set up all around the venue, emitting a gorgeous and brilliant luminosity. All of a sudden, grandiose music began to loudly play. At the same time, the dragon crystal lanterns began to produce a vivid spectrum of colours. Surprisingly, a small stage had been set up in a corner of the venue. The music that was being played came from a miniature orchestra. The members of the orchestra included Eco, Rebecca, Lucca, Jessica, Anya, Navi, Raymond, Max and Linda. Moreover, their conductor was Mirabel. The girls were all dressed in lovely dresses, with the exception of Anya — who for some reason was dressed as a cat-eared maid. As for the instrument that each person was responsible for — Linda and Lucca had flutes, Jessica a clarinet, Anya a trumpet, Rebecca a saxophone, Navi a horn, and Eco on percussion. On the other hand, the two boys wore tuxedos and bow ties. They were responsible for bass as Raymond played a trombone while Max played the tuba.

“This song is…”

Ash realised upon listening to the melody that resounded through the night sky. It was the [Birthday Song] that every citizen of the Knight Country was familiar with.

“I see. My birthday was on the third, and I recall that Princess-sama’s birthday is on the seventh, right? Today is the fifth, so it’s right in between both of our birthdays…”

Ash finally understood the purpose of the mysterious party on the ship. It seemed that they had been preparing this for quite some time while both Ash and Silvia were in the dark.

“In other words, the reason why no one visited Julius Hall these past few days is because of this…”

Silvia murmured as if she had also just realised.

“It’s a really heart-warming performance.”

Standing behind Ash, Cosette also appeared quite fascinated.

—Ding! Ding ding ding ding ding!

Suddenly, Ash’s attention homed in on Eco. Although Eco had absolutely no experience with playing any musical instruments, she was skilfully hitting the percussion instruments. It seemed that she had used the excuse of a ‘girls only sleepover party’ so that she could practice playing along with everyone else. The performance finally reached a climax, and the sound of a horn loudly and elegantly resounded. Mirabel then turned around and bowed. The performers followed Mirabel and also gave a graceful salute. Ash, Silvia and Cosette responded with a warm round of applause.

Part 8

“Mmm, this roast beef is delicious! Hey Linda, if you don’t take your portion now, it’s going to be gone.”

“Huwa! Geez Eco-san, is it okay for you to eat so much!?”

“Huh? It doesn’t matter. After all, dragons eat five meals a day!”

“Eco-san is certainly a dragon huh…in any case, it really surprised me that they prepared such a grand banquet. In comparison, the birthday party that we organised for nii-san barely amounts to anything…”

“Hey, that’s not the case at all, okay?”

Ash, who had originally been observing the interaction between Eco and Linda, noticed Linda’s sudden depression, and thus he said with a reprimanding tone,

“The dishes and the cake that you made just for me were delicious. More importantly, they conveyed your sincere feelings, so why are you feeling so down?”

“Nii-san…!”

With tears welling up in her eyes, Linda leaned towards Ash. While Ash stroked his little sister’s head, he once again expressed his gratitude to Eco and Linda.

“Eco, Linda, thank you for the wonderful performance. It really surprised me, and I didn’t expect that the two of you were practicing musical instruments in secret.”

“Wasn’t my percussion performance great?”

Eco immediately acted triumphantly.

“Yes, it was very cool.”

In actuality, Eco’s personality was a good fit for the percussion instruments, and she successfully brought the performance to a climax.

“You were great on the flute was well, Linda. I didn’t know you had such talents.”

“It’s not a talent…it’s just a bit of learning here and there. Everyone around me is much more amazing.”

“It can’t be helped. Dragonar Academy has music classes, so everyone has some experience when it comes to brass instruments.”

“I see…I’d also like to take music lessons sooner. Playing the flute seems fun.”

“Before my Pal was born, things were actually pretty idle, so a lot of time could be spent on hobbies.”

“…In other words, since your Pal didn’t exist until your first year in the Senios course, you were idle for the three years of your Junios course?”

“Haha…uh, that’s right.”

Ash could only make a wry smile when faced with his little sister’s sharp accusation.

“By the way, that dress looks good on you.”

“I-Is that so?”

Ash casually complimented her, and Linda gazed down shyly at her own dress in response. She was wearing a knee-length mini-skirt dress which was reminiscent of butterflies flying through a field in spring.

“Did you borrow this from someone?”

“Yes, it’s actually thanks to Cosette-san. When she was helping Eco-san with a dress, she also helped to prepare one for me. Cosette-san is a really nice person.”

Linda said as she stood beside Eco. When they stood beside each other in beautiful dresses, they almost looked like real sisters. However, Ash couldn’t shake a strange feeling.

“No, wait a minute. She helped to prepare outfits for Eco and Linda? In other words, Cosette-san knew about this banquet long in advance…?”

Ash made a wry smile. When Ash was working with Silvia in Julius Hall during the day, Cosette prepared snacks and tea just like usual, and she even acted the same as she normally did. Even when Lancelot came to pick up Ash and Silvia, she still maintained a poker face.

“She’s impossible to figure out, just like usual…”

Just as Ash muttered to himself…

“—Hey, take it away as soon as there’s a free plate! The next dish is still waiting!”

A sharp voice came from behind them. Ash, Eco and Linda looked back in surprise — to find a group of maids dressed in cat ears and cat tails. The waitresses of the student restaurant <La Tene> were busily working in every corner of the venue. Speaking of which, all of the food at tonight’s banquet was done by <La Tene>. The owner of that shrill voice just then was Anya. It seemed she was in charge of the cat-eared maids tonight. The reason why she wore a maid’s outfit during the performance was probably because she was about to get to work. In addition to being a navigator for Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights, Anya still continued to work at <La Tene>.

“Anya is such a hard worker.”

Ash couldn’t resist a smile as he whispered to himself. At that moment—

“Hey, Ash! This is bad!”

“There’s a large magical ship approaching us. What should we do?”

Raymond and Max suddenly ran over. Compared to the panicked Raymond, Max maintained a calm demeanour.

“Magical ship!?”

Ash took a small telescope from Max’s hands and then began to search for the mysterious magical ship. At last, the ship’s outline came into the focus of the telescope.

“Seriously…”

Ash murmured to himself. At the least, it was different to any of the magic ships that Ash had seen in the past.

—Boom!

Suddenly, the soundwave of a deafening rumble caused the Escavaron to tremble.

“Is that a cannon attack!?”

Raymond clutched his head in panic and crouched down on the spot.

“Which country does that magic ship belong to?”

Max also froze up because he was overly nervous. Beads of cold sweat formed on Ash’s brow, but in the next instant — a cluster of beautiful patterns were drawn in the night sky, flashing dazzlingly like stars.

“…Fireworks?”

Ash froze in surprise.

“Those are fireworks? It’s my first time seeing them.”

Having just arrived from the countryside, Linda leisurely expressed her thoughts.

“—Whoo. The grand finale is here!”

Accompanied by a mischievous voice, a figure soared right above the Escavaron like a comet. Aiming straight at the deck, the comet violently landed on the ship with a boom. It was a Maestro with an enormous and majestic body. Its head, neck and chest were all decorated with grand golden ornaments, making it seem as if its entire body radiated light. The most distinctive feature of that dragon was the gem embedded in its forehead. Its colour was a black even darker than the shade of night — the Pluto that Ash was familiar with.

“Oscar…no, Oscaia I!”

Upon hearing Ash’s loud call…

“Hmph. Just Oscar is fine. Besides, this is the relationship between us!”

…Oscar raised the hem of her elegant dress with one hand, held the crown on her head with the other, and then briskly jumped onto the deck. After landing on the deck with a thud, she immediately threw herself into Ash’s arms.

“Ash…my dear Ash! How I’ve missed you!”

“Whoa, Oscar!?”

Unable to withstand the force of Oscar’s impact, Ash fell to the ground. Even so, Oscar continued to embrace Ash with not a care in the world. A feminine fragrance that never existed before wafted from her body. Moreover, the sensation of her ample bosom—. Gradually, a crowd began to form around Ash and Oscar. In addition to the officers of the student council, the car-eared maids led by Anya also ran over one after the other, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Queen of the Chevron Kingdom.

“Wait a minute, you guys! You’re too close!”

Eco’s eyebrows twitched as she yelled out.

“You’re still the same as ever, Eco, so jealous. But I refuse!”

Without hesitation, Oscar pressed her body even closer to Ash.

“It really is you, Oscar. I’m pleased to see you as well. How did you find out about tonight’s party though…?”

It was Rebecca who answered Ash’s question from the sidelines.

“I sent her a letter to let her know in advance. I thought that if it was Oscar, she’d definitely be happy to come.”

“I see…by the way, Oscar! What’s the meaning of that magical ship? When it comes to large magical ships in the Chevron Kingdom, shouldn’t there only be the Claíomh Solais?”

“Oh, you mean that?”

Oscar turned her head and gazed at the large magical ship that had stopped in mid-air and maintained a certain distance from the Escavaron.

“Haha. Did it scare you? It’s the new flagship of the Chevron Kingdom — the Claíomh Solais II! It was originally being built by Uriel in secret, but I took over and completed it. In a way, it’s fortunate that we were able to defeat Uriel before the completion of the second ship.”

“…Indeed.”

After all, if the second ship had been completed sooner, Ash and the others would’ve had to deal with both the first and the second ship at the same time.

“Never mind that for now, Ash. Since I became queen, you never came to visit me in the Kingdom…you’re so cold. On the other hand, I’ve been waiting and looking forward to my first night with you.”

“Wait wait! The subject suddenly jumped too far ahead!”

Ash was stunned and attempted to escape from Oscar. Oscar’s kindness was certainly a joyful matter, but the glares that Ash had begun to receive from Eco and the other girls were pricking at him like needles. Naturally, Oscar must’ve noticed the stares from the other ladies, but paid it no heed at all. She held Ash’s face with her hands and seductively said,

“To tell the truth, those guys in the Kingdom’s government want to promote me as the <Eternal Virginia>.”

“What!?”

“Because a so-called ‘Virginia’ will be the same as Saint Rosa Maria, having a sacred image. In that regard, the captain of the Order of Holy Dragonars also seems to be known as the <Silent Virginia>. Indeed, it seems the men of this world really seem to like ‘virgins’, so it should attract a fair amount of popularity. By the way, the one who proposed this idea was the prime minister, Count Delacroix.”

“Huh…so you have a prime minister.”

Ash was surprised. He’d always thought that, given Oscar’s personality, she was more likely to have an autocratic style of government.

“Even I feel like an inexperienced amateur when it comes to politics. Count Delacroix may be a young, but he is a good person. At present, I want to learn politics from him first.”

“I see. You’re working hard too, Oscar. As the commander of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights, I also need to move forward.”

“It’s okay to move forward, but I hope you don’t forget about me. Although our relationship can no longer be made public, you’ll always be my—”

Oscar’s blue-green eyes became moist, and she unscrupulously brought her lips together with Ash’s. Although a murderous intent was fiercely directed at him from the other ladies, Ash seemed to be locked in place by a spell, unable to move. That was just how breathtaking Oscar was tonight—.

“Graaaa! I was only watching quietly, but you actually went and did that!”

Along with a fierce rebuke, a petite figure rushed out from under the shadow of the Maestro Tristan.

“Whoa!”

In an instant, Oscar was knocked away, left panting for breath in a corner of the deck.

“Geez, you don’t have any awareness when it comes to being a queen!”

The person who unrelentingly performed a roundhouse kick on the queen of a nation wore a black maid outfit. It was a maid with only one eye and dazzling silver hair that was tied into a ponytail. Naturally, Ash was also familiar with this girl.

“Oh, it’s Celes!”

“Hmph, long time no see…Ash.”

The instant that they came face to face, Celes seemed to act shy, and her eye wandered about unsteadily.

“How should I put it…it’s been a while and you seem to have matured?”

Those were the feelings that Ash expressed upon coming face to face with Celes.

“What!? You insect! How can you casually say such frivolous words!? That’s the reason why women keep coming after you, one after another — wait, what is that!?”

Celes was only halfway through her complaints about Ash, but suddenly pointed to the other end of the night sky.

“Huh? What are you so surprised for — what!?”

Following the direction of Celes’ gaze, Ash was also taken aback. It wasn’t just Ash and Celes. Everyone gathered on the deck couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded upon seeing the enormous man-made object that appeared in the night sky. The large artifact gradually approached the Escavaron. At last, everyone was able to see its full shape.

“That’s…the Holy Ship Esperanza!?”

Ash couldn’t help but shout. As if in response to Ash’s voice, a small figure vigorously waved a staff on the Esperanza’s deck.

“Ash-oniichan!”

“That’s Raquel! Did you also send a letter to Raquel?”

Ash turned and asked Rebecca.

“No, I only informed Oscar…”

Rebecca tilted her head and responded, while Mirabel revealed a smile beside her.

“It was I who sent an invitation letter to Raquel. I thought that girl would be rather happy about it.”

During the time that Mirabel studied at St. Law University in the Holy Espada Agency, she also taught Raquel swordsmanship, which was why Raquel still called Mirabel ‘sensei’. Perhaps the relationship between them was deeper than Ash had initially imagined.

“The night is just getting started now!”

When Jessica shouted that in high spirits, cheers erupted from everyone else.

Part 9

After the Holy Ship Esperanza docked next to the Escavaron, Raquel stepped onto the deck of the Escavaron, accompanied by Cardinal Penelope.

“Ash-oniichan! Happy birthday!”

She ran like a small animal and rushed into Ash’s arms. Her right eye was blue like a sapphire and her left eye was green like an emerald — her round and large heterochromatic eyes glowed with delight.

“Thank you, Raquel.”

When she acted with such innocence and purity, there was no discomfort at all, and there was actually a sense of warmth. However—

“Hmph. Long time no see, Ash Blake. You’re starting to look more like a knight, but isn’t it about time that you let go of Her Eminence?”

Penelope flatly stated with a cold expression.

“Haha…it’s been a while indeed, Cardinal Penelope.”

Ash broke into a cold sweat as he greeted her. Raquel then finally let go of Ash and simultaneously turned around to Silvia, who had been watching on in surprise.

“Your Highness Silvia, I also wish you a happy birthday.”

“Y-You’re too kind…!”

Silvia edged back.

“It may not be much, but I’ve prepared gifts for the both of you!”

When Raquel announced that with a smile, knights clad in armour marched over in single file. They were the renowned elite troops of the Holy Espada Agency — the Espada Holy Wing Knights. However, the items that they carried were not weapons. One by one, wooden boxes that they had to hug with both hands were brought over.

“Raquel? This is…?”

Ash asked, and Raquel replied with a wide grin across her face.

“It’s a speciality of the Espada region — sparkling wine! I think it’d be very suitable for banquets, so I had it prepared. The wine has already been chilled on the ship, so you can go ahead and enjoy it right now.”

“Thank you, Raquel. It’s just that we’re all underage…”

“That doesn’t matter. Wine is the blood of Saint Rosa Maria — in Espada, wine can be drunk regardless of age. Rather, the laws of the Knight Country are too strict.”

“Haha…perhaps. Since we have your blessing, I’m sure it’ll be fine to have a drink tonight then.”

Ash made a wry smile as Raquel mischievously stuck out her tongue and smiled. At that moment, Linda suddenly tugged on Ash’s sleeve with a displeased expression on her face.

“Hmm, what’s the matter, Linda?”

“Umm, nii-san? I understand that this person is Her Eminence Raquel…but why does she call you ‘onii-chan’? I don’t understand at all.”

Linda had a puzzled expression and looked rather displeased.

“Uh, that’s…”

From the standpoint of the true little sister, perhaps Linda couldn’t accept the fact that Raquel addressed Ash as ‘onii-chan’. Raquel briskly took a step forward.

“Fufu. Ash-oniichan and I have entered into a sibling agreement. Umm, Ash-oniichan? This person is?”

“Uh—”

Linda moved before Ash could come up with an answer. She stood in front of Ash as if to protect him from something.

“Excuse me, Your Eminence Raquel. I am a freshman at Dragonar Academy and my name is Linda Blake. I’m Ash Blake’s blood-related younger sister!”

Linda boldly declared in front of the girl who was only nine years old but was the Pope, nonetheless.

“Eh! Really!?”

Raquel’s eyes widened…

“Then, Linda-san is my old sister! Please look after me, Linda-oneechan!”

Raquel made a sincere smile. She was almost like an angel.

“Huh!?”

Linda appeared puzzled and taken aback by Raquel’s reaction. The hostility that she originally had vanished in an instant.

“—Well then, everyone. Now that everyone is here, let’s raise our glasses with the Espada wine that Raquel has so kindly given us!”

Mirabel announced in an awe-inspiring voice. Cheers immediately resounded from the venue. Once everyone had received a glass of wine…

“Happy seventeenth birthday!”

…A harmonious melody reverberated in all directions.

Part 10

Following the climax of the banquet—.

After being dragged around by the others, Ash finally found an opportunity to step aside, so he decided to search for Silvia. He asked Cosette for Silvia’s whereabouts and learned that she had gone to the rear deck on her own. Ash walked through the bridge and followed a long passage which led to the rear deck.

“Hmm?”

Ash suddenly felt a gaze upon him, and so he turned around. However, no one could be seen behind him.

“I’m probably just overthinking it…”

He calmed himself and continued to walk along the passageway. After opening the door at the end, he stepped onto the rear deck. The evening breeze gently brushed against his cheeks. Unlike the front deck, which was the party venue, the rear deck was completely silent. —Silvia gazed up at the stars by herself. Thanks to Cosette, she had been able to change into a gorgeous dress even though she originally arrived at the Escavaron in her uniform. Her figure which was brilliant enough to illuminate the night was like a blue diamond.

“Haa…”

Not noticing Ash’s presence, Silvia heaved a sigh as if something weighed on her mind. She fanned the breeze in front of her with the palm of her hand. It appeared as though she was trying to sober up. Perhaps due to Raquel’s assurance, she accidentally drank too much wine.

“Princess-sama, may I bother you for a moment?”

When Ash called out to her, Silvia turned around.

“Huh, are you drunk as well, Ash?”

Ash’s heart skipped a beat. The slightly intoxicated Silvia was even more enchanting than usual.

“Uh…I’ve actually been looking for you this whole time.”

“Looking for me?”

Silvia widened her eyes and stared at Ash. Ash nervously pulled out a small, slender box from his pocket.

“This is, umm…a present for you. I’d originally planned to give it to you on your birthday, but I think tonight makes for a suitable occasion.”

“A gift for me?”

“Although this may be an inexpensive item to you, would you still accept it?”

“Of course!”

Silvia cried, as if trying to sweep her intoxication away. She then accepted the small box.

“Umm…may I open it?”

“Certainly.”

Ash nodded with a smile, and Silvia carefully untied the ribbon.

“Oh, isn’t this a pendant? It’s beautiful.”

It seemed that Silvia had taken a liking to it at first glance. What Ash chose was a silver pendant with an ice-blue coloured dragon in the centre of a cross.

“By the way, Ash. Umm…if possible, umm…”

Silvia handed the necklace to Ash, turned her back to him, and then gently lifted her waist-length blonde hair with both hands.

“…Can you put it on for me?”

“Princess-sama…!”

Silvia’s bold and the flamboyant display of her white neck and back caused Ash to instinctively hold his breath.

“R-Right…”

Ash answered somewhat nervously and then put his hand around Silvia’s neck. A sweet fragrance reminiscent of flowers teased his nostrils, causing his heartbeat to accelerate.

“…Ah!”

When Ash’s fingers lightly touched Silvia’s nape, her shoulders trembled slightly.

“I’m sorry, Princess-sama!”

“No, don’t worry!”

After such a process, she finally wore the necklace. As Ash stepped back, Silvia turned around with a bashful smile across her face.

“Mmm, it’s just like I thought. It’s perfect for you.”

The instant that a smile spread across Ash’s face, Silvia made an unexpected move.

“…Ash! My feelings for you are about to overflow!”

She fell straight into Ash’s arms.

“Princess-sama!?”

She had a seductive fragrance and scorching body warmth. Ash felt as though he was embraced by a blue flame. Silvia’s eyes were moist, and she spoke in an imploring manner,

“Please, Ash…”

She gently closed her eyes and raised her chin. Faced with Silvia’s emotions, Ash decided to respond in kind.

Part 11

“—No! It’s a lie, right!?”

Having followed quietly behind Ash, Linda froze on the other side of the door. The shock to her was so immense that it almost stole her breath. With a sky full of stars as the background, Ash and Silvia were kissing passionately underneath their visage. She hadn’t expected…that her brother would fall in love with the princess of a nation…!

“Uuh! I’m…so depressed.”

With tears in her eyes, Linda sat down on the spot.

“Happy Birthday! ~A.S.B.1366.04~” is closed.

Interlude – Linda's Miscalculation

The entrance ceremony was extraordinarily grand. Following that, there was an orientation party at the girls’ Maeve House dormitory. Linda enjoyed her time in classes, and she made many friends. Everything seemed to be going along smoothly, but — that night, Linda was soaking in the dormitory’s large bath while she worried over something. What bothered her was nothing other than her brother. The scene of Ash and Silvia’s kiss was still vividly burned in her mind.

“Why? Such a noble princess is actually with my brother…”

However, Princess Silvia wasn’t the only problem. There were simply too many women surrounding Ash. Before Linda arrived at Ansarivan Academy, she firmly believed that her brother would not have a girlfriend. It was because of her certainty that there was only one girl in the world who could understand the charm of such an ordinary brother — herself. But she was wrong. Moreover, completely wrong…!

“Uuh…”

Linda sank her entire head beneath the surface as she blew bubbles in the water.

“Why are you so upset, Linda?”

“You look like you’ve been really tired lately…?”

The ones who spoke to her were her roommates, Rosalie and Selma. Rosalie Thorndike was a slender girl with a model-like figure. Having grown up in the city, she was the daughter of a good family and also acted with elegance. On the other hand, Selma Hamilton was a gentle girl with a figure that was even smaller than Linda’s. However, her breasts were so developed that it was difficult to believe she was only twelve years old. She seemed to have a complex about it, and she currently had a towel wrapped tightly around her chest.

“I-I’m not upset about anything…”

Linda denied it with hesitation, and even she knew that it wasn’t persuasive at all.

“Haha, I’m sure it’s about your brother, right? It must be tough as a younger sister when you have such an incredible older brother.”

Rosalie revealed a mischievous smile as she sank into the bath next to Linda.

“Linda’s brother is amazing after all.”

Selma also followed Rosalie, nervously dipping her body into the hot water.

“Uh, yeah…that’s roughly what it is.”

Linda decided to give vague confirmation.

“By the way, your <Seikoku>…is in a very sensitive place.”

Rosalie suddenly shifted her interest to Linda’s <Seikoku>.

“Yeah. And its style is also completely different to our ones…”

Rosalie and Selma peered down at Linda’s lower abdomen from the left and right. The hot water was transparent and unable to shield Linda’s naked body.

“Wait, don’t keep staring!”

Linda’s entire face went red. Although they were all girls, it was still embarrassing when her lower abdomen was being stared at.

—Kaa.

The door to the large bath was carefully opened. The one who appeared in the doorway was an adorable girl with pointed ears — Lucca Sarlinen. She was their senior who had begun serving as the dormitory leader of Maeve House from this year. Lucca was a member of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights, as well as the secretary of the student council. She was already quite famous among the freshmen.

“She’s so beautiful…”

Linda and the others couldn’t help but stare at the naked body that was as beautiful as a fairy. All of a sudden, Linda recalled the birthday party. Lucca was also there at the time, but unlike Eco, Silvia and Rebecca, she wasn’t too conspicuous. As far as Linda was aware, she didn’t seem overly close with Ash.

“…At the very least, Lucca-senpai should be different, right?”

Linda softly murmured with hopeful feelings. And then…

“Umm, Lucca-senpai!”

Rosalie suddenly shouted toward Lucca’s back.

“Huh…?”

Lucca, who had been washing her hair, turned around to Rosalie with foam still in her hair.

“Lucca-senpai, you’re quite close with Ash-senpai, right? If possible, would you please be able to tell us things about Ash-senpai?”

As soon as Rosalie raised this question, all of the other girls who were present swiftly gathered around. The naked girls surrounded Lucca one by one.

“Umm…Ash has a very strong sense of justice. Moreover, he treats everyone well. He’s willing to put other people before himself…”

Upon hearing Lucca’s comments on Ash, everyone unanimously sighed in elation. As if acting on behalf of everyone, Rosalie asked another question.

“Umm, Lucca-senpai…could it be that you also like Ash-senpai?”

“I-I…need to go…!”

Lucca’s entire body grew hot, and she rushed out with a patter of footsteps even though she still had shampoo in her hair.

“How should I put it…she’s really easy to read…”

Rosalie smiled wryly as she watched Lucca depart.

“Linda-chan’s brother is really popular~.”

Selma also said with a smile.

“What brother…I don’t know one!”

Linda sank her head in the hot water once more as she blew bubbles under its surface.

“Girl’s Talk ~A.S.B.1366.04~” is closed.

Chapter 5 – The Princess of Darkness and the Mechanical Dragon

Part 1

Two weeks had already passed since the start of the new school term. Days passed as Ash attended his classes as a second-year student in the Senios course while also partaking in student council activities. Another large event awaited them later in the month.

—Aries Dragon Riding Festival.

It was a dragon riding festival that was focused on athletic events. Last year’s festival was still fresh in Ash’s mind, and it wasn’t something he would ever forget. He raced against Silvia. He had a chance encounter with Milgauss and was attacked by Anya. It was also the birth of Eco, who had been asleep up until then. Ash’s turbulent school life started exactly a year ago at the Dragon Riding Festival.

However, now was not the time to reminisce about the past. A responsibility for officers of the student council was to enter Fianna Forest in advance in order to set up devices in strategic locations to drive beasts away — [Magic Incense Burners]. The route of the dragon riding race included Fianna Forest, but many ferocious beasts inhabited the forest. In order to prevent participants from being attacked by beasts, setting up Magic Incense Burners in advance was an important task for the student council officers. Ash and the others already had experience with this last autumn, so there was nothing unfamiliar about it. As long as everyone divides the work and cooperates, it’ll be easy to complete — that was what Ash thought before they set off.

Part 2

—After school that day.

Led by Ash, the officers of the student council changed into their Academy dragon riding uniforms and gathered at the entrance of the forest. As for the groups, this had been decided by drawing lots prior to their departure. As expected, sparks went flying between the girls during this process, and Ash was suppressed by their sheer aura. Although it was sufficient to divide the work up between three groups last year, five groups were necessary this year due to the expansion of the route through the forest. As such, the student council made a special invitation to Anya and Linda as helpers. According to the fair, open and transparent lottery process, the groups were determined to be:

   A Rebecca and Lucca (Cú Chulainn)
   B Max and Raymond (Arianrhod)
   C Eco and Linda (Gawain)
   D Silvia, Cosette and Jessica (Lancelot)
   E Ash and Anya (Brigid)

“Sorry for asking you to help out even though things are so busy with your job at the student restaurant.”

Anya made a somewhat embarrassed smile upon hearing Ash’s apology.

“It’s okay, you guys help me out a lot normally anyway. Moreover, I think a task like this is more suitable for me.”

“It’s a relief to hear you say that.”

Ash also responded with a smile, but suddenly became unsure of where to direct his gaze. Since Anya didn’t have a dragon riding uniform, what she wore instead was her usual combat attire. Since it was a tribal outfit, Anya wasn’t shy about it…but thinking about it calmly, it was quite revealing, and it unreservedly exposed much of Anya’s tan skin. When she was their enemy, Ash had hardly realised this, but he couldn’t help but feel his heart race whenever he gazed at her bare abdomen and thighs.

“…Hm?”

Ash suddenly noticed something odd. He immediately understood after looking at Anya for a while. She was still wearing a cat ear hairband on her head. It was probably because she forgot to take if off when she changed from her waitress uniform into her combat outfit. She was clearly wearing her combat attire, but also had cat ears on her head. It was quite a refreshing look.

“What’s wrong, Ash?”

Anya asked, noticing Ash’s gaze.

“Umm, your cat ears…I think you forgot to take them off?”

“Nya!?”

Anya was so surprised that she almost jumped up, and she grasped at her head with both hands.

“W-What should I do? T-These cat ears take up a lot of space…”

They had to carry a lot of Magic Incense Burners today, so it was best to have a minimal amount of other luggage on hand.

“Why don’t you just keep wearing it then?”

“Uuh, it’s so embarrassing…”

Anya cheeks became flushed. Ash found it somewhat amusing that she didn’t mind wearing her revealing native attire, yet she was embarrassed about wearing cat ears. After chatting with Anya like this for a while…

—Doon…!

A dark aura surged from behind, and Ash immediately sensed danger.

“—You two seem rather friendly.”

The person staring at them with narrowed eyes was Silvia.

“I didn’t expect Anya-san to make a surprise ambush!”

Jessica puffed out her cheeks.

“The atmosphere between Ash and Anya…seems nice…”

Lucca whispered softly beside Jessica.

“It’s quite regrettable…”

Even Linda, who normally acted rather maturely, made a rare expression of her opinion.

“You…if you keep showing that lovestruck look on your face, watch out or I’ll crush you!”

Eco proudly declared as she folded her arms in front of her chest.

“Everyone, it’s not good for you mind or body to get angry over such a trivial matter, you know?”

As expected of Rebecca, she displayed the calmness of a mature woman. Yet, Ash felt no trace of joy in her eyes and couldn’t help but shiver.

“Geez, I really wish they’d spare us some of the attention…right, Max?”

Raymond shrugged as he sought agreement from the friend by his side. Raymond looked rather depressed because he had been placed in the same team as Max.

“No. I’m actually looking forward to the beautiful Ashley…isn’t it her turn to appear yet?”

Unfortunately, not only did Max disagree with Raymond, but he also responded like that with a serious expression. This scene felt rather cute in Ash’s eyes. It was precisely because he had experienced so many desperate battles that such a peaceful daily scene felt precious. While Ash soaked in such emotions, Eco’s attention eventually focused on Brigid.

“Hey, Brigid? You have to keep an eye on Ash, and don’t let him do anything strange to Anya!”

Upon being glared at by Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor, Brigid broke into a cold sweat and kept nodding its head at the same time.

Part 3

After bidding farewell to everyone, Ash and Anya ventured into the forest. For students, this was a familiar route.

“Let’s go, Brigid!”

Ash entered a state of human-dragon integration with Brigid as he tugged on its reins. As sunlight poured through the leaves and branches to illuminate their path, Brigid galloped along briskly. At that moment, Ash felt a soft sensation against his back.

“Hey, Ash? Isn’t this a bit too fast…?”

Anya nervously whispered. Perhaps because she wasn’t accustomed to riding on a dragon, she had been holding on tightly to Ash for a while now. She might not have realised, but a slight bulge was pressing up against Ash’s back. Ash couldn’t help but feel anxious when he became acutely aware of the sensation. To distract himself, he said to Brigid,

“Good, keep going just like this. We’ll arrive at the first set up point fairly soon!”

Perhaps sensing the momentum in Ash’s voice, Brigid let out a courageous roar.

“Phew…that’s the second one set up. Four to go now.”

Ash wiped the sweat from his brow after activating a Magic Incense Burner behind a bush.

“Thankfully, no beasts showed up during the activation process.”

While remaining vigilant of their surroundings, Anya squeezed her way through some bushes as they walked back.

“Having said that, even if we do encounter one, I’ll use my whip to drive them away for you. Dealing with beasts is my forte.”

In fact, Anya had already repelled three beasts. With just a single crack of her whip, the beasts would retreat in fear. It seemed the sharp sound generated by the whip made them fearful. Even if his opponents were beasts, Ash didn’t want to cause harm to them. As such, he had been relying on Anya’s technique ever since they entered the forest.

“It’s really reassuring to have you by my side, Anya.”

“…!”

Anya was astonished when Ash said that to her with a smile.

“Geez, the way that you casually say such embarrassing things is troubling. Maybe it’s just your innocence…but because of that, all of the girls around you are—”

Unfortunately, because Anya’s voice was too soft, it didn’t reach Ash’s ears.

“Sorry. I didn’t catch that just then…”

“If you didn’t hear then don’t worry about it!”

“…?”

Ash couldn’t understand why Anya’s face turned completely red.

“Guuuuu…”

Brigid let out a weak roar. It appeared that it had been running for too long.

“Brigid seems tired too, so shall we take a break?”

Ash suggested, and Anya finally smiled.

“In that case, how about some special sandwiches and coffee from <La Tene>?”

Anya jogged over to Brigid and took off the satchel that was tied to the saddle. Anya had already distributed lunch boxes and water to each group before their departure.

“It just so happens that I’m feeling hungry, so that’d be great. The manager of <La Tene> always seems to look after us.”

“It’s because you guys are loyal customers, so don’t worry about it.”

Anya responded with a smile as she spread out a picnic rug next to Brigid. Brigid took a comfortable nap under the sunshine that simmered through the leaves and branches above. Thanks to a double serving of meat before they set off, it seemed there was no need for Brigid to have anything now.

“Here, Ash.”

After opening the lid of the lunch box, Anya handed it over to Ash. It was stuffed full of colourful sandwiches.

“I think I’ll have a pork cutlet sandwich first then.”

“Help yourself to as much as you like.”

Anya cutely replied. In that instant, Ash grew nervous as he felt as though Anya acted like a newlywed wife. She was simply adorable because she still wore cat ears on her head like usual.

“Thanks for the meal!”

Ash took a bite of the pork cutlet sandwich in an attempt to distract his lust with his appetite.

“Mmm, it’s delicious.”

The crispiness of the batter and the soft yet elastic fibres of the thick-cut pork complemented each other, and it went perfectly with the sweet and spicy sauce. When paired with shredded lettuce, the taste was less greasy than it appeared. Suddenly, a mellow fragrance filled their surroundings.

“Would you like some coffee?”

Anya smiled as she handed the flask lid which doubled as a cup to Ash. It was filled to the brim with coffee that emitted steaming vapor. Ash couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Haha, your tone has totally transformed into that of a waitress!”

“S-Sorry! I’m so used to it that I accidentally—”

At that moment, the flustered Anya suddenly fumbled.

“Uwah…!”

It was too late for Ash to dodge, and so the brown liquid spilled onto his thigh.

“Kya! Y-You have to take that off straight away…!”

Anya extended her hands toward Ash’s belt in a panic. She didn’t seem to realise just how bold her actions were.

“N-No! I was just surprised, but it’s not actually that hot!”

Ash managed to regain his calm. However, Anya was still in a state of panic and constantly tried to take Ash’s pants off.

“Wait, it’s okay really! Just calm down first — huh!?”

This time, it was Ash’s hand that slipped. The hand that he had reached out with in an attempt to placate Anya had accidentally slipped into an unintended location. That place was — underneath the native outfit covering Anya’s chest.

—T-This sensation…!

Her slightly raised breasts unquestionably transmitted a soft and elastic sensation to his hand. The palm of his hand felt a protrusion that was reminiscent of a flower bud.

“…………!?”

Anya fell into even more of a panic as she attempted to untangle herself from Ash’s hand. At that moment—

—Zoop.

Her clothing slid away in an unexpected direction—.

“Nya!?”

And then, the slightly bulging breasts of the tan-skinned girl were exposed under the sunlight that filtered through the treetops.

“Uh…umm…”

Ash and Anya both froze stiffly in place, and after a few seconds—

“Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

A flurry of tears was mingled with a scream that echoed in the depths of the forest.

Part 4

After some twists and turns — Ash and Anya finally managed to deploy all of the Magic Incense Burners before sunset.

“Huh? This place, isn’t this…”

Ash suddenly urged Brigid to stop. A cliff stood before them. It was both a terrifying and nostalgic place — a place full of memories. It was where Ash had fallen one year ago. It was also where Ash was saved by the newly born Eco.

“Speaking of which, this is also where you and I met for the first time, Anya.”

Ash murmured with feelings of nostalgia as he jumped down from Brigid.

“Yeah, you’re right…”

Anya followed Ash and gracefully landed on the ground.

“Umm…Ash?”

Anya suddenly lowered her head to Ash as if she had recalled something.

“I’m really sorry for what happened back then! It’s my fault that you fell off the cliff…”

“Anya!? It’s been so long ago since that happened. Are you still hung up on it?”

“At the time…I was supposed to be the only one to fall off the cliff. But you pushed me aside and saved me, right? You took the fall for me…and for that…I never properly apologised to you.”

Anya lowered her head dejectedly as tears welled up in her eyes.

“D-Don’t make that kind of face! Besides, I was saved by the birth of Eco, so you don’t need to worry about it, okay?”

“But…”

“More importantly, if not for that accident, Eco might not even be born yet. As long as it ends well, then everything else if fine.”

Ash desperately tried to console her.

“Thank you…you really are kind, Ash.”

Anya wiped her tears away with her fingertips and finally smiled. After immersing himself in nostalgia at the edge of the cliff for a while, Ash suddenly seemed to remember something and took out his silver pocket watch to confirm the time.

“It’s almost time for us to head back.”

He said to Anya with a hint of reluctance.

“………”

She didn’t respond. Anya’s entire body grew tense.

“What’s wrong?”

Ash sharply asked, to which Anya replied,

“Don’t you think it’s weird? Just then, the presence of the birds, beasts and insects in the forest…it’s all disappeared.”

“Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit too quiet…”

Upon saying that, Ash paused and gasped. After all, it was because Anya’s expression was as serious as when they first met. Is it really necessary to be so concerned about the current situation…although Ash found it strange, perhaps Anya was particularly sensitive to this abnormal phenomenon given that she grew up in a tribe that was surrounded by nature.

“Ash! At the bottom of the valley…there’s something hiding there!”

“What did you say!?”

The instant that Ash gazed down from the top of the cliff…

“Guuuuu!”

Brigid suddenly roared and exhaled a breath of flame. An astonishing amount of atmospheric pressure and a loud noise suddenly erupted at the same time. The flames were sprayed directly at a rock on the other side of the cliff. A cloud of dust was kicked up, and fragments of debris continued to fall. Stones fell like rain towards the bottom of the valley.

“Brigid, what happened to you all of a sudden…?”

Ash whispered in surprise. In an instant, the surrounding air began to vibrate — something beyond Ash’s comprehension slowly floated and surfaced from the bottom of the valley.

Part 5

“Eco-san, the last Magic Incense Burner has been activated. This concludes our job now.”

Only when Linda said that with a cheerful voice did Eco raise her head in surprise and recall that she was actually riding on the back of a Maestro. When Linda began to activate the Magic Incense Burners, Eco couldn’t help but feel a bit drowsy under the comfort of the early spring sunshine. The one responsible for transporting Eco and Linda was Gawain, who had been borrowed from Lucca. Because Gawain was extremely loyal to its master, they were initially worried about whether it would allow Eco and Linda to ride it — but since it was Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor and Linda, who was suspected to have the same dragon riding ability as Ash, even Gawain obediently obliged.

“This was a surprisingly easy job.”

“Hmm~”

Eco uttered as she stretched her body.

“Nii-san is very considerate, which is why we only needed to set up three of them.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Eco glanced at Linda from the corner of her eye. With an innocent smile on her face, Linda seemed to be a rather clever girl at first glance. In fact, she had been the subject of various compliments among the officers of the student council, with descriptions such as:

“Very polite.”

“Maturity unlike that of a freshman.”

“As expected of Ash’s little sister.”

…And so on. As such, despite being a freshman, she was selected to help with the activities of the student council. However, Eco still couldn’t lower her guard against Linda. Because of what happened that night, various thoughts still lingered in her mind.

—…I want to be onii-chan’s bride. I have to…uh…

—As long as it’s for onii-chan…I’m willing to do anything…

—Onii-chan…don’t…don’t leave me…I don’t want to be alone…if I can’t be with you, I won’t be able to live on…

Linda’s words didn’t seem to be mere sleep talk. In other words, perhaps…because it was dream talk, it was an indicator of her usually repressed emotions. The <Seikoku> engraved on Linda’s lower abdomen was also rather intriguing. What kind of dragon resided in Linda’s body? Moreover, why did Linda have the same abilities as Ash? A genius dragon tamer — it was an ability that was already far beyond common sense. Why did this ability only manifest in Ash and Linda?

—Well, there’s no need to worry for now. After all, I don’t want to suddenly ask questions and make our relationship awkward…

Eco thought and convinced herself of this. At that moment—

“Uooooohhh…!”

A prolonged roar echoed in the distance.

“That voice…it’s Brigid!”

An ominous premonition cast a shadow across Eco’s mind. The voice sounded urgent, as if it was trying to convey some kind of emergency.

“I can’t tell the voice of dragons apart…but if that’s really Brigid, then it must mean that something has happened to nii-san, right?”

Linda worried for Ash’s safety as an apprehensive look spread across her face.

“It’s disturbing…Gawain, let’s move in the direction of that voice immediately!”

Gawain promptly responded by flapping its wings with enough vigour to sweep away all of the surrounding branches.

Part 6

—Voon….

A noise emitted from a particular device stimulated Ash’s ears. The full figure of what floated up from below the cliff finally revealed itself.

“…H-Hey, is this for real!?”

Ash was dumbfounded. As for Anya, she was too shocked to even make a sound. The thing was extraordinarily similar to a dragon. It had a head with sharp horns attached to a long and thick neck. It had a majestic body with four limbs and razor-sharp claws. Its wings were sharp and pointed. Every part of it was similar to a dragon. In addition, its body was larger than that of an average Maestro. The problem was…it wasn’t a living thing. What covered its entire body was neither silvery-white fur nor scales, but jet-black armour plates. From the top of its head to the tip of its wings, the entire thing was constructed of metal. Mounted on each of its shoulders were long and wide-barrelled magic cannons. In the centre of its head, an eerie sphere glowed red, as if it was keeping an eye on Ash and Anya. Perhaps the sphere really did have the function of vision.

“A mechanical…dragon!?”

Ash was stunned. Who made this? What purpose was it made for? Why was it lurking in Fianna Forest? Suddenly, Ash recalled the report that Silvia had shown him.

—‘A mysterious giant dragon appeared in the forest at night!?’

Since the beginning of spring, a gigantic dragon flying at night had already been spotted several times. The mighty figure that stood before him at this moment was indeed consistent with the eyewitness reports. No, its size was even greater than he had guessed based on the sightings. In terms of physique, the only one capable of surpassing this dragon was probably the Holy Dragons’ Emperor, Eco.

“…Since its mechanical, does that mean it uses the unique technology of the Empire? Did you hear anything about this from Milgauss, Anya?”

“I didn’t. I’ve never heard of anyone developing something like this…”

Anya shook her head in disbelief. At that moment, the mechanical dragon slowly descended and landed in front of Ash. The ground made a slight grumble.

“Hmm, thou actually saw through our camouflage. Colour me impressed.”

The voice that descended from above startled Ash. On the mechanical dragon’s head — there stood a slim figure. A girl in a dark dress gracefully rode on top of the mechanical dragon. No, perhaps it was more suitable to describe it as being ‘on board’ rather than ‘riding’? The young girl’s appearance was reminiscent of a dazzling silver crescent moon against the backdrop of a dark night sky. She seemed to be around fifteen years old and gave off a refined aura. Her slanted eyes had a commanding presence, and her pupils were emerald in colour. She had gorgeously long blonde hair, with curls that hung down on both sides in front of her chest. It was a hairstyle that seemed like it would be fashionable among nobility.

She was armed with a spear in her right hand, and its terrifying shape was somewhat similar to the magic sword that Milgauss once had.

“Who on earth…?”

Ash asked with a surprised tone, to which the girl softly giggled…

“That face…thou must be Ash Blake, correct?”

“How do you know me!?”

“A stupid question. Not only didst thou successfully defend Fontaine City against the <Schwarz Drachen Panzer> led by Klaus, but thou also stopped Prince Uriel’s conspiracy at the very last moment. Moreover, thou repelled the Necroplant that was morphed from the Mother Dragon. Every country around the world has their eyes on thee and young dragon Eco, as well as the movements of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights.”

The girl’s words were spoken with an imperial accent, cementing the fact that she was indeed from the Empire.

“You know that much!?”

“Moreover — thou art very important to us.”

“…Us?”

It seemed that she was not alone. Just as Ash tried to question her further, the girl spoke first and asked sharply,

“By the way, where art thy Pal? Surely that Asia is not the Holy Dragon Emperor, Eco?”

The girl glanced alternately at Ash and Brigid.

“I’m not going to tell someone like you about Eco’s whereabouts. More importantly, what is that thing that you’re riding!?”

“How insolent! What dost thou mean by ‘that thing’!?”

The girl glared at Ash coldly. It seemed as though she was quite attached to the mechanical dragon.

“This child is the greatest masterpiece of the Maschinen Drache, and mine dear Pal — Brünhilde!”

“Hold on! The term ‘Pal’ is sacred. You can’t just use it on a mechanical toy!”

“Didst thou just say…a toy? It seems thoust accidentally said something thou shouldn’t have.”

Anger surfaced on the girl’s expression, and it seemed as if veins could appear on her temples at any moment. Despite her seemingly calm demeanour, she was quite quick to anger.

“Let’s go, Brünhilde!”

As soon as the girl raised her spear up high, it emitted a faint glow from the tip. The Maschinen Drache — Brünhilde made a deep metallic hum as it took a heavy step. Ash couldn’t help but shiver. After all, many shiny black machine gun barrels were mounted on Brünhilde’s abdominal armour.

“Karlsnautr, fire!”

Part 7

Ash guided Brigid to run in a zig-zagged pattern to evade a rain of bullets. Yet, Brünhilde’s gunfire grew more intense and continued to draw close.

“Hmph, the Asia’s movements gradually seem to be getting sluggish, it seems?”

The girl’s comment chillingly entered their ears. In actuality, Brigid’s fatigue had indeed reached its limit.

“Guuuuu…!”

The next instant, a bullet finally pierced Brigid’s hind leg. The large calibre round penetrated through its hard scales.

—Doon!

Brigid’s body violently shuddered, and both Ash and Anya fell from the saddle.

“Ungh!”

Ash’s back crashed onto the ground, assaulting him with a sharp, aching pain. Anya seemed to have hit her head as she lost consciousness.

“Grrr…”

Even despite its wounded hind leg, Brigid stood its ground in front of Ash and Anya. It let out a growl from the depths of its throat, as if to intimidate Brünhilde.

“No, Brigid!”

Ash shouted in anguish towards Brigid from behind. However, Brigid remained as firm as a mountain, determined to use itself as a sacrificial shield.

If this continues, I’ll rob my best friend Raymond of his Pal…

“Hmph, this is exactly why I despise living creatures. I’ll turn thou into a taxidermy mount and display thee in the corridor of my castle!”

After the girl uttered such cruel words, Brünhilde slowly advanced. The reason that she didn’t immediately attack was probably because she was convinced of her victory.

—Thump thump…

With every step, Brünhilde drew closer. To Ash, it sounded like the footsteps of death incarnate. He came to a grim realisation of just how powerless he was when separated from Eco. The girl’s attitude changed from one of mockery to seriousness as she coldly commanded,

“Brünhilde, ready thy cannons!”

Instantly, Brünhilde began to move. Accompanied by a deep mechanical hum, the magic cannons mounted on its shoulders took aim at Ash and the others.

“…!”

Ash gasped in astonishment.

“Farewell, Ash Blake. Be blown to pieces along with that useless dragon!”

There was no longer an option for escape. All Ash could do was figure out a way to move his paralysed body, hold onto Anya, and try to shield her. And then—

“Balmung, fire!”

Just as the girl yelled, the deafening cannons unleashed a sequential blast.

—Boom! Boom!

Two magic blasts drew out perfect parabolic arc in the air as they flew towards Ash and the others.

Part 8

“Hmm. I didn’t expect that of the famous Ash Blake — so that’s all he was capable of. It’s honestly a disappointment.”

The girl stood on Brünhilde’s head as she waited for the dust to disperse.

“There is no doubt that they are an obstacle to the Exalted Leader. Naturally, Eco’s Knight — Ash, is a target that must also be eliminated. The Exalted Leader will surely understand.”

Just after the girl coldly whispered as if trying to persuade herself—

“—You idiot! Don’t get yourself killed without my permission!”

An ardent voice reverberated from beyond the veil of dust and debris.

Part 9

“I’m…still……alive……?”

Amidst the haze and dust, Ash slowly raised his head.

“—You idiot! Don’t get yourself killed without my permission!”

Ash’s heart was instantly filled with courage upon hearing such words of reproach. There was no mistaking that the voice belonged to Eco.

“Nii-san, Anya-san, are both of you okay!?”

Linda’s anxious voice also reached his ears.

“You infidel! Not only have you invaded the territory of my country, but you’ve also brought suspicious weaponry! It seems everything written in the report was true!”

Silvia’s awe-inspiring voice followed.

“…It seems the ‘Leader’ that she spoke of is her boss.”

What followed after was Rebecca’s cautious voice.

“My Ashley was almost killed…how dangerous.”

Ash deliberately pretended not to hear a word that Max said. Then, as a gust of wind blew past, the dust finally settled—. Four Maestros — Cú Chulainn, Lancelot, Arianrhod and Gawain all stood in front of Ash, deploying defensive magic that seemed as impenetrable as a fortress. Rebecca and Lucca rode on Cú Chulainn. Silvia, Cosette and Jessica rode Lancelot. On Arianrhod were…Max and Raymond. Riding on Gawain were Eco and Linda. Taking the lead, both Rebecca and Silvia had already equipped their Arks. Their fiery red and ice blue colours were a stark contrast.

[That was really close, Ash. You owe me a big one this time, okay?]

Navi’s voice was telepathically conveyed to him. The reason why all of his comrades had been able to rescue him in time was because Navi sensed the danger and alerted them.

“Thank you, Navi.”

Ash wiped beads of cold sweat from his brow as he thanked Navi.

Rebecca urged Cú Chulainn to take a step forward, and then said to the girl,

“First, tell us your name and the organisation that you belong to. Then, explain this dangerous vehicle—”

“No, wait! That face…I’ve definitely seen it before!”

Silvia appeared flustered as she interrupted Rebecca.

“Could it be, but that’s impossible…no, but…that beauty…I couldn’t possibly forget. This person…no, you can’t be…!”

The creaking sounds that could be heard from the seams of Silvia’s Ark were clear evidence that she was trembling all over.

“Hmm. If I recall, thou art the Fourth Princess of the Lautreamont Knight Country, Silvia — I didn’t think I’d run into a familiar face here.”

After the girl cast a sharp glance at Silvia, she looked around at everyone else.

“Halt, ye fools!”

The air of majesty that she commanded made it difficult to believe that she was only around fifteen years old. Ash couldn’t help but back away. The girl then proudly declared her name.

“I am one of the Seven Winged Generals of the Magic Association <Demiurge> — Annegert Lara Walpurga von Zepharos!”

“Magic Association? No, more importantly, the surname of Zepharos…!?”

Ash stood there with a dazed expression. It was so sudden that he couldn’t process the situation. No matter how vast the world was, there was only one meaning behind the ‘Zepharos’ surname.

“It’s as you imagine, Ash. Although our countries are not on friendly terms with each other, the Knight Country’s royal family and the royalty of the Zepharos Empire have met several times in the past…and that is why I know…”

After Silvia paused to take a breath, she continued,

“There is no doubt. She is the Sixth Princess of the Zepharos Empire.”

“……!”

Ash was so shocked that he couldn’t utter a single word. At that moment, Annegert scoffed and said,

“Well, you can rest assured. I am only here now of mine own will. Everything I have said and done has nothing to do with the Imperial government.”

Upon hearing Annegert’s arrogant statement, Ash retorted,

“Do you think we’ll just believe what you say!? How did you obtain such a ridiculous weapon? Was it not developed by the Imperial Army?”

“…Preposterous. How could those crude and oil-smothered Imperial soldiers possibly give birth to such a lovely child? Behold its beautiful form! Everything is the result of the technological capabilities that <Demiruge> has cultivated.”

In that moment, Annegert appeared extraordinarily innocent, much like a girl fascinated with a doll.

“The Magic Association <Demiurge>…huh. I may not have heard of the name, but if what she said is true, then the organisation must have financial and technological capabilities comparable to that of a country, right?”

Rebecca solemnly whispered. Beads of cold sweat appeared on Rebecca’s forehead as well, much unlike her usual calm appearance.

“That is the end of my self-introduction. It looks like all the actors have assembled.”

Annegert sneered like a wicked witch.

“Fufu. I wonder which would be stronger between mine Brünhilde and the dragons that you have raised. Wouldn’t it be an interesting contest? It’s just—”

After saying that much, Annegert paused, and then revealed a serious expression. Her cold gaze darted straight to Eco.

“I’m also well aware that the situation will become troublesome if Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor is awakened.”

Annegert brandished her spear and shouted as if casting a spell.

“Rain down, o grace of Pluto. Dye the light of Avalon in darkness with ye black power…”

Brünhilde’s eye gleamed as it responded to the chant of Annegert’s spell. The mechanical figure emitted a dark aura. And then, the aura was gradually absorbed by Annegert’s spear. It was a mysterious and strange sight to behold. A sense of unease took hold in Ash’s mind. Perhaps it was an instinctive fear. The unpleasant shivers that coursed through his body reminded him of something he had encountered in the past…

“Behold and be awed! The name of my great spear is Gungnir! Reveal thyself, <Ouroboros>!”

In an instant, a dark aura was ejected from Annegert’s spear.

“Eco!”

Ash immediately charged out in an attempt to protect Eco, but — the aura released by Gungnir swiftly struck Eco like a bolt of lightning.

“Noooooooooo!”

Eco let out a horrid scream out of fear. Her petite body suddenly floated.

“Eco-san!”

Linda also tried to grab Eco’s legs, but her hands couldn’t reach. In an instant, Eco’s body was already floating several metres above the ground.

“Kuh…what…is this…my…my body can’t move……”

A jet-black snake restrained Eco. In fact, dozens of snakes densely swarmed together almost in the form of an altar. And it was as if Eco was being offered as a sacrifice on the altar. The swarm of <Ouroboros> relentlessly buried themselves under Eco’s armpits and behind her knees. They then entangled themselves around her wrists and ankles. Eco’s distance from the ground continued to grow with each passing moment.

“Help me…Ash……”

Eco struggled in tears as she was strung up in the air.

“Let go of Eco!”

Ash glared at the <Ouroboros> and tried to attack, but…

“Guh!”

Just touching them caused his entire body to be repelled away. It felt as if his entire body was assaulted by a dark aura. Ash’s back slammed onto the ground, leaving him breathless.

“Fufu, it’s useless. If ye want to release her, then try and catch up to Brünhilde.”

—Boom!

A sinister sneer formed in the corner of Annegert’s mouth, and a burst of magical flames erupted from behind Brünhilde. In the blink of an eye, the pitch-black machine had already ascended into the sky.

“What should we do…?”

All Ash could do was gaze at the trajectory of Brünhilde in a daze. Feelings of despair gradually darkened his emotions — but Rebecca’s sharp voice reinvigorated Ash.

“Ash! Your top priority is to rescue Eco!”

“I-I understand!”

Ash immediately straightened his posture. It felt like he had gone back to how things were a year ago.

“Max, Lucca and I will chase down the enemy! Linda, you’re responsible for taking care of Anya and Brigid! Let’s go, Cú Chulainn!”

Under Rebecca’s orders, Cú Chulainn majestically ascended.

“Let’s follow them!”

Silvia also commanded Lancelot and flew into the sky. Immediately afterwards, Arianrhod also flapped its wings and took off whilst carrying Max. Lastly, Lucca jumped onto Gawain and took off. Having finally reunited with its master, Gawain seemed as lively as a fish in water.

—I’m sorry, everyone…!

Ash endured the pain in his back as he stood up. Behind him, Linda and Cosette were taking care of Anya, while Raymond and Jessica tended to Brigid. Ash also felt quite regretful for dragging Linda into this situation when she had just enrolled at the school. Perhaps sensing his emotions, Linda gazed at him with a sincere expression.

“Nii-san, it’s okay. Please don’t worry about me. I may not look it, but I’m quite resilient.”

Ash was deeply moved by his little sister’s mature words.

“—Ash-sama.”

Jessica also spoke to him with a rare, serious expression.

“It doesn’t look like Anya-san or Brigid have any life-threatening injuries. We’ll take cover in the forest momentarily.”

“Thank you, Jessica.”

Ash firmly nodded.

—That’s right. I have to do what I must…!

Ash clenched his fists as he looked up at Eco.

“Ugh…ahh…”

Restricted by the entanglement of the constantly writhing <Ouroboros>, Eco appeared to contort her body due to the increasing agony.

“Just hold on a bit longer, Eco!”

Part 10

The battle between an ‘aircraft’ and ‘four dragons’ thus unfolded above the forest. In order to capture Brünhilde, the team composed of Cú Chulainn, Lancelot, Arianrhod and Gawain continued to fly at high speed in an organised formation. However, Brünhilde’s agility exceeded everyone’s expectations.

“Kuh, how is it this fast!? It’s clearly such a heavy machine…”

Silvia voiced her frustrations as she commanded Lancelot by its reins. After they finally managed to get close to Brünhilde from behind, the distance was gradually widened again.

“Huh!? Watch out!”

As the one furthest in front, Rebecca issued a warning. Silvia also took notice. Brünhilde’s armour began to undergo an odd transformation.

“—Doragvemdr, fire!”

The girl’s voice cut through the cold sky. Accompanied by a loud bang, something was unleashed all at once. They were small white cylinders that seemed distinctly different from ordinary shells. Like a school of fish scattering in water, the shells released trails of white smoke as they fanned out in a radial pattern. It was almost as if each and every cylinder had a will of its own.

“Disperse! They’re probably…missiles!”

Immediately after Rebecca shouted, the mysterious cylinders turned one after another. After a brief moment of silence, they darted towards everyone. Because they were small and fast, it was a difficult task to shoot all of them down.

“Are all of them homing types!?”

Silvia murmured in disbelief.

“Fufu. These missiles are the pinnacle of Magica Technica! They can reach the speed of sound, and they’ll chase a target to the ends of the earth as long as they sense magical energy!”

The girl snickered coldly while Brünhilde continued to glide gracefully through the air.

“This is nothing! Lancelot, deploy a Hexagonal Shield!”

Under Silvia’s orders, Lancelot let out a fierce roar. As a result, a myriad of small hexagons immediately appeared in the air, forming a sturdy defensive barrier. The next instant, several missiles collided with the Hexagonal Shield!

“Huh!? What’s going on…?”

The situation didn’t proceed as Silvia expected — none of the missiles exploded. The missiles simply pressed against the surface of the barrier and stopped there.

—Zaa…!

In an instant, the front of the missiles radiated light, producing a phenomenon similar to electrical discharge. A piercing, crackling sound was emitted.

“What!?”

Unexpectedly, the Hexagonal Shield dispersed as easily as a puff of smoke. The tip of the missile then dropped off and the remainder resumed its trajectory. The halved missiles then aimed at Lancelot’s flanks. Lancelot immediately twisted its body, but the missiles grazed its hips before finally exploding.

“Guuuuuuuuuu…!”

The immense pain evoked an anguished roar from Lancelot. Although it had avoided a direct hit, its silvery-white fur was charred, and it also sustained burns on its skin. After losing its balance in mid-air, Lancelot made a painstaking effort to restabilise itself. Silvia barely managed to hold on and avoid being thrown off.

“Silvia! Are you okay!?”

Rebecca cried with worry. Silvia loudly replied,

“Please be careful! My defensive magic was forcibly undone by them! It seems like defensive magic is ineffective against those things called Doragvemdr—”

“Got it! Max, Lucca, don’t rely on defensive magic!”

Rebecca quickly relayed the instructions.

“Yes, understood…!”

Lucca replied with a soft voice — but Max was one step too late. After being cornered by the missiles, he had ordered Arianrhod to use its defensive magic. The missiles easily defused the defensive barrier and exploded near its forelimbs.

“Uwaaah!”

Due to the tremendous shockwave, Max’s glasses were blown off.

“Max!?”

Silvia’s voice was almost overshadowed by Arianrhod’s cry of pain. It roared as it lost speed and fell, eventually crashing into Rubina Lake. Even if the others wanted to go to the rescue, the fierce missile pursuit didn’t allow them to.

—Max! Arianrhod! Please be safe…!

Silvia prayed to herself. Annegert leisurely gazed down at Rubina Lake as a grin spread across her face.

“‘Twas our goal was to break the defensive magic of the dragon race. That was made possible with knowledge of Magica Technica. What happens when two sound waves of opposite phase overlap? The sound waves will cancel each other out entirely. We applied this principle to the magic of the dragon race.”

The tone of Annegert’s voice was akin to that of a calm scientist.

“Thanks for the detailed explanation, but do you think we have time to listen!?”

Silvia gripped the reins tightly as she evaded the successive missiles that homed in on her. Although Rebecca and Lucca had been forced into defensive manoeuvres, they still seemed calm.

—As expected of Rebecca-san and Lucca. If this continues, I might be the next one to get shot down…

As soon as that thought surfaced in her mind, Silvia shook her head.

—No no! How could think something as pathetic as that, Silvia Lautreamont! Didn’t you decide to become the future Paladin?

Perhaps the Silvia of a year ago really would’ve been dragged down by her own cowardice. But at this moment, she continued to motivate herself.

—Ash. Thanks to you, I feel like I’ve become stronger!

Perhaps sensing Silvia’s emotions, Lancelot let out a fierce roar. The white smoke trails left by the missiles criss-crossed against the darkening sky, forming a web-like pattern. But in that moment, Brünhilde suddenly descended.

“Wait! Are you trying to run!?”

Silvia yelled, but Annegert simply responded with mockery.

“‘Tis the end of the game with ye. Fufu, the spell cast on Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor is nearly complete.”

“Spell?”

By the time that Silvia frowned, Brünhilde was already gliding away towards the horizon of the evening sky.

“Don’t get distracted! Concentrate on dealing with the missiles in front of you!”

Silvia returned to her senses as soon as she heard Rebecca’s stern instructions. There were still dozens of missiles circling around intricately in the air, chasing after the three dragons.

“Silvia! Since it’s come to this, let’s all join together and defeat the missiles in one go!”

Rebecca’s voice was carried into her ears by the wind.

“Understood!”

Despite the situation they found themselves in, Rebecca’s voice was still full of confidence. It’d be nice if I could be like Rebecca someday — Silvia hoped as she prepared to engage.

Part 11

“Haa, haa…”

Ash’s dragon riding suit was already in tatters. His body was covered in grazes and bruises. Linda and the others had already taken refuge in the forest earlier, so it was only Ash and Eco that remained. While the sunset shrouded one end of the horizon, Silvia and the others were engaged in an aerial struggle against guided missiles. From time to time, loud noises like those of fireworks could be heard, and they dyed the evening sky a deep red.

[—Are you okay, Ash?]

Navi worriedly asked via telepathy.

“…I’m fine. I can’t fall until I rescue Eco.”

Although Ash stubbornly said so, it was already the fifth time that he had been repelled by the <Ouroboros>. It was as if the snakes were protected by an invisible barrier, and they couldn’t be touched from the outside at all.

“No…Ash. If you keep going, your body…won’t hold up…”

Eco worried about Ash as she murmured in pain. She was still suspended in mid-air, with her entire body being assaulted by pitch-black snakes.

[It’s too dangerous to go on like this. The <Ouroboros> appear to be draining Eco’s magical energy…]

As if in response to Navi’s speculation, the momentum of the <Ouroboros> continued to rise. Each one of the serpents grew longer and thicker. In contrast, Eco’s face grew more and more pale.

[…In any case, this is too odd. To be able to supress Eco’s power to such an extent…I can only think that this is a weapon of Brünhilde specifically designed to oppose Avalon. If that much is possible…could it be…]

“Navi? Have you got any ideas!?”

[No. I shouldn’t say anything in the absence of conclusive evidence. It’s just…]

“Even a guess is okay. Please just tell me what you’re thinking!”

Ash urged Navi with desperation as if she was the only ray of hope.

[…Perhaps Annegert targeted Eco from the beginning, and that was why she snuck into the Knight Country.]

“What do you mean?”

[In order to prepare for the Aries Dragon Riding Festival, the officers of the student council will set up Magic Incense Burners in the forest — even citizens of Ansarivan are familiar with such traditions. With just a little investigation, the people on Annegert’s side would’ve easily been able to discern the actions of the student council officers.]

“Indeed…”

[Unlike in an urban area, once you’ve been isolated in the forest, she can attack freely. It’s also convenient for her to conceal Brünhilde. It’s an excellent opportunity for her to do something bad to Eco.]

“Damn it! So, we unsuspectingly walked into the forest where Annegert was waiting for us…”

Just as Ash clenched his teeth in frustration, a pitch-black mechanical figure made a loud noise as it landed on the ground.

“—It looks like the <Ouroboros> are almost fully grown.”

Annegert leisurely said as she stood atop Brünhilde’s head. She then slowly waved her spear, Gungnir.

“The time hast come. Activate — <Shackles of the Ouroboros>!”

As soon as she said so, Gungnir unleashed a dark aura.

“Kuh…!”

Ash instantly braced himself, but the pitch-black aura passed directly above his head and surrounded the swarm of <Ouroboros>. The <Ouroboros> then morphed.

“Nooooo!”

Eco let out an agonising cry. One after another, the <Ouroboros> were sucked into <Avalon’s Bracelet> that she wore on her wrist. Most of the <Ouroboros> had already been subsumed by <Avalon’s Bracelet>. When the last snake finally disappeared — Eco, who was left in mid-air, fell straight down.

“Eco!”

Ash ran forth with all the strength that he could muster, sliding into the position where Eco fell. At the very last moment, Ash embraced Eco in mid-air and then landed on his back.

“Are you okay!?”

“I’m fine! But the bracelet that Mother gave me…”

With a pale expression, Eco showed Ash <Avalon’s Bracelet>.

“W-What’s going on with…that!?”

Ash fell silent. <Avalon’s Bracelet> which originally shone with a silvery-white brilliance was now dyed black, much like oxidised silver. It gave off an unsettling, and even ominous feeling.

“Unforgivable…”

Eco left Ash’s arm as she stood up unsteadily.

“Hey, you! What have you done to the bracelet that Mother gave me? It’s a memento of her as well!”

Her eyes glowed with the burning embers of rage.

“Fuhahaha! Thou definitely hast thy priorities the wrong way around.”

Annegert scoffed as she said so in front of Eco. It was the first time that she didn’t seem to sneer or ridicule them, rather, she was genuinely amused.

“Young dragon Eco, art thou sure that’s what thee should be worrying about? Allow me to gift thee a hint. Try removing thy bracelet!”

Although Eco frowned, she touched the bracelet as if a thought had occurred to her.

“No…I can’t take if off. It won’t budge!”

A look of despair appeared on Eco’s face. —It was <Avalon’s Bracelet> from the Mother Dragon. As long as she wore that bracelet, Eco would not inadvertently turn into her dragon form. In other words, it was a control device. And if she was unable to remove the device, then…

“Like this, I won’t be able to dragonise…”

Ash couldn’t help but shudder upon hearing Eco mumble that to herself. In the past, whenever facing a strong foe, the overwhelming combat power of Holy Dragon Emperor Eco was a great help. As for Brünhilde, it was different from past enemies, and impossible to know just how strong it was. Since he had been forcibly separated from his companions, it was the ideal time for him to be riding Holy Dragon Emperor Eco, but he could no longer do so.

“Hmph. I didn’t expect things to progress this smoothly. It’s honestly gone beyond the level of pleasure and into the realm of boredom. I was expecting ye to entertain me a little more.”

After saying that much, Annegert stopped, and the smile vanished from her face.

“‘Tis checkmate. Brünhilde, ready the cannons!”

Annegert spoke in the Imperial language and then raised Gungnir up high. Accompanied by a deep mechanical hum, the two magic cannons mounted on Brünhilde’s shoulders slowly began to move.

—Damn it! Some <Avalon Knight> I am! With Eco immobilised, there’s absolutely nothing I can do! What can I do? What can I do to save everyone?

Ash’s clenched fists continued to tremble. But all he could do was painfully accept his own powerlessness.

“Balmung, fire!”

Just as the two cannons unleashed a thundering boom—

“Don’t give up!”

An awe-inspiring voice resounded. An elegant and beautiful lady suddenly descended before his eyes.

“Navi!?”

Just as Ash cried out, Navi deployed a Hexagonal Shield. The magic shells which arced through the air produced massive explosions upon hitting the barrier, but Navi’s defensive magic remained steadfast.

“Think back, Ash, Eco! Before Eco was able to dragonise, you fought against Milgauss and the others regardless! Only dragonisation has been sealed by the <Ouroboros>! Your other abilities have not been sealed!”

Indeed, it was too soon to despair — and Ash changed his mindset. The corruption of <Avalon’s Bracelet> had been such a shock to them that they’d even forgotten such an important thing. Indeed, only dragonisation had been affected—

“Eco…”

Ash placed his hands on Eco’s shoulders and gazed at her face. If he wanted a sword to fight with, then he had to rely on Eco for help. However, due to the attack of the <Ouroboros>, Eco had already lost most of her magical energy. Perhaps it was cruel to rely on Eco in such a state. Perhaps sensing Ash’s worries…

“Of course! Who do you think I am?”

Eco proudly puffed out her chest.

Part 12

“Fire! Keep firing!”

In response to Annegert’s voice, the two Balmung cannons continued to rumble and roar. However, the defensive barrier deployed by the woman who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere seemed impenetrable against Balmung’s assault.

“Hmph, I didn’t expect ye to have backup. Her horns and hair colour…it seems she’s somehow related to Eco…but defensive magic is useless against us! Keep firing! Doragvemdr, fire!”

Annegert raised her spear up high as she issued new orders. Doragvemdr was probably able to undo the defensive magic of the dragon species. As such, Annegert’s trump card remained unchanged.

“…Huh?”

However, an unexpected development occurred. Much to Annegert’s surprise, Doragvemdr did not activate.

“Tsk, no more bullets huh. It seems I used too many during aerial combat—”

At that moment…

“Uooooooooooh!”

Ash charged forward, abandoning the safety of the defensive barrier that Navi had deployed. Moreover, he ran straight towards Annegert like a madman. It was seemingly absurd behaviour.

“What’s going on!? I don’t understand, I don’t understand this guy at all…kuh, use Karlsnautr as well! It doesn’t matter if you expend all ammunition!”

Upon hearing Annegert’s enthused voice, Brünhilde began to fire the machine guns mounted on its abdomen. The sounds of cannons and gunfire seemingly intensified the atmosphere of the battlefield. However, Ash still gradually approached her in a fearless manner. His eyes weren’t those of a madman, rather, they were brimming with desire. Ash’s figure suddenly vanished. He had made use of the smoke and dust produced by Balmung’s cannon fire to conceal himself.

“Could it be…even now, he intends to reverse the situation?”

Part 13

—Boom! Boom! Dodododo!

The sound of cannons and the continuous firing of a machine gun overlapped with each other. Anyone’s body would be riddled with bullets if they stopped for even a moment. Yet, Ash madly sprinted across the battlefield without any regard for it. It was most certainly not an act of self-destruction. It was the battle plan that he had come up with and shared within a very short period of time. Concealing himself within the dust and smoke kicked up by Balmung, he continued straight ahead. He had no choice but to trust in Eco and Navi as he continued to race forth. He ran, ran, and kept on running. All of a sudden, a cold evening breeze blew past, sweeping away the dust that had been kicked up by the cannon fire.

“Oh no!”

Ash’s figure was immediately revealed before Annegert’s eyes. Unsurprisingly, he made eye contact with Annegert.

“…Hmph. I didn’t think thou would be stupid enough to charge at me on thine own. As a token of respect for thy stupidity, I’ll gift thee with the biggest shot!”

Annegert held the magic spear Gungnir with both hands and stabbed the tip of the spear into the ground. It was the first time that she had done such a thing.

“Brünhilde, prepare to fire the main cannon!”

“What…so Balmung aren’t the main cannons!?”

Ash was stunned as he watched Brünhilde slowly part its upper and lower jaws. Accompanied by a deep mechanical whir, what appeared from its mouth was an enormous muzzle. Its calibre was similar to the main gun of a large magical ship. Judging by the Bright Dragon Crystal that was embedded on top of it, it appeared to be some kind of magical cannon.

“…H-Hey, no matter how you look at it, that’s clearly an anti-magic ship weapon, isn’t it!?”

Did she really plan to unleash that upon a mere human? Ash suddenly felt as though his legs would go numb. He was strongly reminded that he was just an infantryman as a knight without his Pal’s help. —Even so, he continued to race forward! Indeed, it was because Ash had decided to entrust everything to Eco and Navi. Even if Brünhilde’s main cannon unleashed an inferno of flames, he would not stop.

“Accumulating magical energy. Ten, nine, eight…”

In contrast, Annegert’s voice remained cold and ruthless, as if she was an extension of the mechanical weapon itself. With a monotonous voice, she began a countdown. It didn’t seem like intimidation at all. She truly intended to blow Ash away with the main cannon.

“Uoooh!”

Ash yelled as if in an attempt to drown out Annegert’s countdown. He unleashed a roar from the depths of his throat as he accelerated forward.

“…Four, three, two, one.”

Annegert’s countdown mercilessly came to an end.

—Eco!

Just as Ash exclaimed so in his heart…

“—Espolón!!!”

A shout came from behind. In that instant, Ash was bathed in a warm glow. The various components of an Ark began to be equipped on Ash’s body. Even with the majority of her magical energy drained, Eco still beautifully bestowed her Ark. Ash’s <Seikoku> violently reacted in response to the aura of the Ark. His <Seikoku> pulsed as if enlivened, and gradually covered his entire body. Ash felt his entire body grow hot as he wholeheartedly accepted Eco’s feelings. Annegert’s cold voice mercilessly interrupted Ash’s thoughts.

“Main cannon — Dáinsleif, fire!”

Having transformed into an Ark Dragonar, Ash immediately summoned Excalibur and pulled it out of its scabbard in a single breath. He crossed the blade and its scabbard to form a cross as he faced the main cannon head on. The tremendous pressure was reminiscent of a dragon’s flames, making it difficult for Ash to maintain his footing. Even with the Ark, there was still an immense amount of heat. However, Ash refused to fall with just that. After all, he wouldn’t be able to protect his companions unless he defeated Annegert—

“I will…protect everyone!”

Ash endured the blast of Dáinsleif…

—Boom!

Ash finally took a step forward. Even though it was only a step, it was unbearably heavy…!

“Kuh!? Thou can actually withstand Dáinsleif!?”

“Checkmate—”

Ash declared, as if in reply to his opponent. Thanks to his desperate sprint earlier, the range of Brünhilde’s Dáinsleif had already been reduced to its minimum. It was now Ash’s turn.

“O all-conquering steel that slashes through all, the holy sword destined for the knight of all knights—”

Along with each word that Ash uttered, the <Seikoku> covering his body warmly responded. Everything had been for this moment. All of the magical energy in his Ark was injected into the holy sword.

“Tsk, you mustn’t face Excalibur…fly, Brünhilde!”

Brünhilde continued to unleash Dáinsleif while it simultaneously prepared to emit magical energy from its back—

“Fourth Dragon Riding Dance — Vine of the Crown of Thorns!”

A delicate cry echoed across the distant sky. At the same time, the pattern of a <Seikoku> was carved into the evening sky, with Lucca at its centre. The figures of Rebecca and Silvia riding on their dragons could also be seen on each side of the pattern, as if guarding Lucca. Moreover, although it seemed as if Max had been defeated, he re-joined the team. The seriously injured Arianrhod also flew in the air, filled with vitality. Rebecca, Silvia, Max, as well as their respective Pals were all battle-scarred. Max had lost his glasses, and his forehead was bleeding as well. Even so, Lucca and Gawain were unscathed. Ash then came to a shocking realisation — Rebecca and the others had wiped out a vast number of missiles and devoted everything to protecting Lucca for this moment, because she possessed the trump card of performing a Dragon Riding Dance. Since they had been fighting separate battles on land and in the air, there was no time for discussion at all, but their timing was exceedingly coincidental. Ash couldn’t stop his eyes from growing moist. It was his first time seeing the Fourth Dance, and its effect was different from the others. A myriad of thorned vines formed by magic crossed over each other and constricted Brünhilde’s lower body.

“Mere trickery…tear them off!”

Annegert shouted. Brünhilde used its tremendous strength to tear the thorned vines off, one after another — but that momentary distraction was more than enough for Ash.

“Its name is — Excalibur!!!”

The single blow unleashed by Excalibur turned into a raging torrent that swallowed up the immense heat of Dáinsleif and slowly advanced forward—.

“Kuh! Endure it, Brünhilde!”

Despite her longstanding calmness, Annegert couldn’t help but cry out in distress at this moment. And then — an impact powerful enough to shake the entire forest fanned out. The slash that Ash had poured all of his strength into landed a direct hit on Brünhilde’s abdominal armour.

Part 14

…What followed was silence. Much to Ash’s surprise, Brünhilde was still standing firm and Annegert still held her spear as she stood on top of Brünhilde.

“Kuh, how is it that tough?”

Completely exhausted, Ash couldn’t help but drop to one knee. At the same time, his Ark and Excalibur disintegrated into particles of light and disappeared. All of his magical energy had been expended in that blow. Perhaps having calmed down, Annie Group sneered,

“It seems the goddess of victory smiles upon me.”

“No, you’re wrong.”

Ash lifted his head as he revealed a smile. Just as Annegert frowned, a change occurred in Brünhilde. The armour on its abdomen shattered like glass and shards began to peel off. The attack from the holy sword Excalibur had certainly landed a hit. However, Ash’s smile froze in the next moment.

“Hey…wait! What is that…!?”

Ash’s eyes widened as his body was frozen in place. An unexpected object was concealed in Brünhilde’s abdominal region.

“What’s going on?”

Eco ran up behind Ash. Having exhausted all of her magical energy, Eco looked rather haggard but still somewhat vibrant. Ash found her rather cute in this way, but he immediately pointed to the interior of Brünhilde.

“That…look at that…”

Eco followed the direction that Ash pointed in with curiosity, and then widened her eyes as well.

“What…! What is that!?”

Hidden in Brünhilde’s abdominal cavity — was a cylindrical object. The cylinder was made of glass and filled with a transparent liquid. The thing suspended in the liquid completely upended Ash’s imagination. —A lone naked girl floated in the liquid, much like a foetus. Her hair was dark and waist-length. Her body still appeared rather young, at around twelve years old. Her pale skin was like that of a newborn baby. And the most distinguishable feature of the girl was — slightly curved horns on the left and right sides of her head.

“…Could it be that that girl is also a dragon!?”

Eco was so shocked that even her voice trembled. At that moment, Annegert simply spoke with a pitiful tone as if she had made a minor mistake,

“Oh, my beloved Brünhilde! What a sorry state thou art in! It must hurt…it must be painful…let us go home at once, and I’ll patch thee up straight away!”

Surprisingly, Annegert seemed totally disinterested in the fact that the girl had been seen. She simply continued to lament the damage that had been done to the mechanical dragon. To Annegert, was that girl just ‘a component of Brünhilde’?

“Wait! That girl—”

“The conclusion of our battle will be decided next time!”

—Boom!

An explosion resounded. Completely ignoring Silvia and the others who were still in the air, Brünhilde took off and flew away at a tremendous speed.

“Kuh…!”

A powerful gale hit them, and Ash quickly protected Eco. While shielding his eyes from the cloud of dust, he stared into the distant sky. At some point, the sun had already sunk, and the sky was stained with the colours of night. The remnants of Brünhilde’s flight trajectory faintly remained in the centre of the night sky.

“…I wonder what’s about to begin.”

Ash could only whisper that in amazement. The mystery was more puzzling than ever, but one thing was certain — and it was that someone was plotting something….

“The Imperial Princess ~A.S.B.1366.04~” is closed.

Epilogue

Part 1

After Annegert’s retreat, Ash and the others immediately returned to the Academy and reported the entirety of the incident to Mirabel.

—This is no trivial incident. Perhaps it would be best to suspend the Aries Dragon Riding Festival.

Mirabel made a swift judgement, but Ash felt a little remorseful. After all, the day of the Dragon Riding Festival was also Eco’s birthday. In actuality, he had secretly embraced the idea of celebrating Eco’s birthday and the Dragon Riding Festival as one, so as to enjoy a grand celebration, but that had inevitably been cancelled. Following this, the knights of the Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars were tasked with guarding Fianna Forest. It was no longer the time to be holding a competition or a birthday party. It could be surmised that a large organisation was backing Annegert.

—The Magic Association <Demiurge>.

Ash still hadn’t the faintest idea about what kind of organisation it was. Moreover, not only did the Sixth Princess of the Zepharos Empire sneak into the Knight Country, but she also attacked Ash and the others with a Maschinen Drache — in the end, Mirabel decided to keep it a secret from the public. If the matter was arbitrarily disclosed, it would inevitably develop into a diplomatic issue. Moreover, even if the Knight Country formally sought an explanation from the Empire, they would probably play dumb.

Part 2

“Haa…”

That night, Eco gazed up at the night sky through the window as she heaved a sigh for the umpteenth time.

“Zzz…zzz…onii-chan…munya…”

Sleeping on the bed beside her, Linda uttered innocent words of sleep talk. Perhaps due to immense fatigue, she fell asleep on the way back from Fianna Forest to the Academy. As such, after explaining this to the dormitory supervisor, Ash obtained permission for her to spend the night in Apollo House. A brilliant full moon brightly shone in the centre of the night sky. Even though her magical energy had been drained by the <Ouroboros>, Eco still bestowed her Ark to Ash. Although Eco didn’t mention it to Ash, it was actually life-threatening for a dragon to consume magical energy to such an extent. Perhaps everything went smoothly in the end thanks to the bloodline of the Holy Dragons’ Emperor family. Eco also wished that she could sleep as soundly as Linda. After all, with enough sleep, her magical energy would be restored. However, Eco’s consciousness stubbornly staved off any drowsiness. <Avalon’s Bracelet> that was gifted to Eco by the Mother Dragon was still pitch black in colour. The metal that composed the bracelet had been corroded by the so-called <Ouroboros>. As long as the curse remained, Eco would be unable to dragonise.

“—You can’t sleep?”

At that moment, Ash finally returned. He had been running around all over the place to report the abnormal situation to Mirabel and various other parties as soon as he returned to the Academy.

“Yeah…”

“It’s okay. I’ll definitely help you to restore the bracelet to its original form. I promise.”

“Thank you, Ash.”

Eco sensed the strong emotions that were carried by his words. He was incredibly reliable now and could hardly be compared to the person that he was a year ago. However, the bracelet wasn’t the only thing eating away at Eco.

“You know, I’ve been worried about that girl who was locked up inside Brünhilde…”

“I wonder what Navi thinks. Isn’t there any information about that girl in the Dragweiss?”

“Navi has been in the Dragon Workshop ever since we returned to the Academy. She said that she doesn’t want to answer anything until she was definitive evidence.”

“…I see. It’s just that…if Brünhilde is a weapon specifically designed to be used against Avalon — then perhaps that girl holds the key.”

Eco nodded and clenched her fists at the same time.

“I may not know who that girl is…but one thing is certain — it’s absolutely weird for her to be locked up inside that kind of destructive weapon!”

“Yeah, I think so too. She was treated as just a part of Brünhilde. As a person, I definitely can’t abide by or forgive such behaviour.”

“Also, if that girl is a dragon, then that makes her one of my kin. I can’t just sit back and watch!”

With a sincere expression on her face, Eco made a declaration upon the moonlit night.

“I want to save that girl!”

“The Ancient Bloodline I” is closed.

Afterword

Happy New Year. I’m Shiki Mizuchi.

The third arc entitled [The Ancient Bloodline] has finally been unveiled. As you may have guessed from this, the subsequent narrative will focus on ‘bloodline’. As this volume enters a new school term, Ash has also been promoted. Moreover, Ash’s little sister — Linda, has finally appeared. Will the future become even more turbulent!? Making her gorgeous debut on the front over of this volume is Linda. Emphasis should be on the twin ponytails which differentiate her from Raquel.

Next, I’d like to express my acknowledgements. To my first editor-in-charge — Shoji-san, my gratitude for you is beyond words. If I didn’t meet you, the [Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi] work would not have been born. I wish you success in your new endeavours, and I look forward to the day when we can work together again.

My second editor-in-charge, Ikemoto-san, you gave me many meaningful advice from a logical perspective. I think I’ll definitely cause you a lot of trouble in the future but let us work together to make <Seikoku> more entertaining!

Shimesaba Kohada-sensei. In addition to Linda on the cover, you also drew many god-tier illustrations for this volume. I expect many new characters to appear in the future, so they’ll be in your care.

RAN-sensei. Thank you for your serialisation of the manga version of [Seikoku] in the monthly magazine. I also happily read your ‘Dubbing Report’ in Comic Alive (December 2012 issue). I look forward to seeing you again.

Lastly, to all of my readers. Every time I re-read the emails and letters that you send me, I profoundly feel how wonderful it is to be a writer. Please continue to watch over the activities of Ash and the others in the future.

Well then, let us meet again next time! In the next volume — Ash and the others head to the Labrock Trade Union!?

January 2013, Shiki Mizuchi

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